See it through
by nett
Summary: When all is lost, a broken Hermione finds out she's been assigned a heavy task, to change history and save the ones she's lost. Even when it means never seeing them again. A timetravel fic set in the Marauders' age. Eventually Hermione/Sirius
1. Prologue  Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Prologue **

Agonized cries from every direction filled her world, but she still heard the impressive voice of her most trusted mentor, roaring over the field. She whipped around frantically, sweat dripping from her brow, fatigue searing through every inch of her body. Even though the man stood several yards away, she heard every word he shouted at her.

There was a flash of silvery grey light. And then there was pain.

Not the kind of dull ever present pain they had gotten used to for the last years, the kind that didn't ever diminish through the horrible ordeal that had become their reality.

No, this was the other kind.

As she saw the last of her beloved allies fall, she found herself thrown to the blood spattered ground. The nerves in her body exploded with agony, while she felt like she was being ripped to shreds with the burning that tore at her from within.

Then there were silence.

But the pain remained, leaving her whimpering on the grass before embracing the blackness.

**Chapter 1**

The girl woke to a warm reddish light seeping through her closed eyelids. The feeling of sleepyness was still very present in all parts of her body, as she tried to open her eyes. Blury shapes filled her view, and she attempted to clear her throat. Someone walked up to her bedside, startling her.

"Awake at last, how do you feel, dear?"

Not knowing where she was, she frantically started to search for her wand, backing up against the bed's head board. The woman standing next to her gave her a stern look, pushed her back down into the bed and raised her own wand.

"Oh, no you don't! You just lie down now, girl, so I can check your healing progress."

When she realised that her exhausted body wouldn't comply for any wandless fighting at the moment, the girl in the bed sunk backwards and focused her weary eyes on the woman standing next to her. She appeared to be a healer, and while looking around the room at large, she recognised the crisp environment and several rows of beds to be those of a hospital ward. As the woman poured some unknown potion down her throat, she found herself falling back into darkness again.

The next time she woke up, someone was sitting in a chair next to her bed. The girl blinked but didn't utter a sound as she took in the figure beside her. The man smiled friendly at her, but remained silent. A long silence followed, where the girl stared at the man with half moon spectacles and long silvery beard, wrecking her confused brain for answers to the improbable situation she found herself in. After a while she opened her mouth to speak, but croaked on her dry throat.

"Can I have some water, please," she wispered hoarsly.

The bearded man in impressive purple robes beamed at her, then reached for a glass on the bedside table and gave it to her. Then he sat down again, a look of satisfaction on his face. The girl sipped slowly, waiting for him to question her.

"You were very luckly to be found when you were, my dear. I'm told your internal injurys almoust caused your death. Had the healing begun just a short while later, nothing would have sufficed for your rescue."

He paused, his bright blue eyes searching deep into hers, but she still remained silent.

"What is your name, dear? Is there perhaps someone you want us to contact? Your parents?"

In her tired state, she flinched at the questions and sighed, but still didn't say anything. The man looked troubled as she turned away from him, her eyes wandering the room. She seemed to be thinking hard about something, and he let her keep at it at her own pace.

"I'm at Hogwarts, I take it?" she asked at last, breaking the silence.

The man nodded, a slight frown on his face at her question.

"Yes, the hospital wing. You were found outside on the castle ground almost a week ago. Do you mind telling me what happened to you, how you came to be here in the middle of the summer? And in that pitiful state?"

His voice suddenly had a sharp edge to it, and as she after a while turned around, facing him again, she felt his eyes probing hers. She looked down at her hands, smiled weakly and took a deep breath.

"I think I might have worked it out, sir. My name is Hermione Granger, and I have something really important to tell you."

* * *

Dumbledore took in the frail form of the young girl in the bed in front of him. He had been as disturbed by her arrival at the castle grounds as the gamekeeper who had found her broken and nearly dying from her injuries. The times were beginning to look disturbing, and even though he hardly thought her to be a Death Eater, one did wisely not to be too trustworthy these days.

The girl had located her wand on the bedside table, and seemed immensly more at ease with it by her side. Dumbledore tried once more to penetrate her mind while he held her gaze, and was indeed a little impressed that not only did she seem to know what he was doing, she also seemed adept to stop him from succeeding. How was it that a girl that couldn't even be of age, was that accomplished at Occlumency? He tilted his head at her and nodded for her to start her story.

She sighed once more and ran her fingers through her matted, wavy brown hair.

"I-I don't actually know where to begin. I just need you to hear me out, because this is of gravest importance."

She closed her eyes. When she opened them again they were filled to the brim with tears, threatening to fall down. Twirling her wand nervously in her hands she seemed to brace herself for the beginning of her explanations. What she said next, though, took the Headmaster of Hogwarts with surprise.

"I need to know what year it is, please Professor, if you could tell me?"

Dumbledore looked up at her. He seemed to be thinking hard for a minute and then nodded, as much to himself as to her.

"It's 1976, July 15th."

He scanned her face as she took this in. She didn't seem surprised at the fact, instead she had a distant look on her face, as if merely going over something in her mind.

"What year would _you_ say it is?" he asked, his eyes slightly narrowed.

She smiled sadly, and by now her tears was falling silently down her face.

"The-the year I seem to have left behind was 1996."

At these words she looked over at Dumbledore again, one hand raised to wipe away the moist in her eyes, the other one holding her wand loosely by her side as she half-sat in the hospital bed. Dumbledore sat quietly by her side, and she continued.

"Before you say anything, sir, I know what you must be thinking. 'One should never meddle with time.' I had all the Ministry Rules memorised while using a timeturner in my third year at school. It was given to me by you yourself, sir, and Professor McGonagall, so that I would be able to take all my classes. But this is different. Entirely different. Will you hear me out, please, sir?"

Her pleading eyes found Dumbledore's, and he sat quiet for a long time, thinking over the things he'd heard so far from her. He had of course went to see her while she was lying unconsious. It wasn't everyday a severely injured girl fell onto the grounds of Hogwarts. He had also been wondering about some of the more distinctive scars that Madam Pomfrey, the school's matron, had found on her body. He let out a deep breath he hadn't know he was holdning as he signed for her to continue.

"Please elaborate. Why is it that I need to know of the future, even though you seem to be aware of the – may I say – _extremely_ strict rules concerning any meddling with time?"

Her shining eyes had dried of tears now, and the fierce look in them spoke of a much older person than the petite girl in front of him.

"Because, sir, it was you who sent me here." Her words kept him mesmerized.

"We were the last ones standing on the battlefield, the last ones remaining of the Order of the Phoenix, and I saw how you choose to send a spell at me, insted of saving youself from the killing curse. Your last words shouted at me before you fell was _'You need to change it!'_"

An ice cold feeling rippled over Dumbledore's spine as he took in her words. The girl indeed knew of the Order he was only _planning_ to form at this stage, but to think that they would be needed still, twenty years in the future, and that a child would be forced to join them in fighting – this had his head reeling. Still, there were no excuses to disturbe fate, to change history. What had he been – would he be – thinking? Was it even true?

Suddenly, Hermione spoke again: "Sir, I-… The Dumbledore I knew was an extremely accomplished Legilimens. I know you've tried to access my mind, would you like me to show you what happened before I was hit with your spell? I didn't recognize it as any I've ever seen before, maybe you'll know what it was? Maybe it could help with this… situation?"

Her voice cracked. Dumbledore saw something similar to fear and regret in her strained eyes. He knew not to take this invitation lightly, to have someone rummaging around in your thoughts was indeed uncomfortable. He smiled solemly at her again, and scooted nearer the bed.

"Tell me, Miss Granger, how is it that a young girl as yourself is able to master the art of Occlumency?"

There was almost a twinkle in his eyes, but the look in them darkened as he saw the girl stiffen before him. He sighed.

"Oh well, all in good time I believe. If you willingly would let me into your thoughts, I'll try to be as gentle as possible. Just allow me access to the event in question, everything else will have to wait until you have rested some more, you are still very weak."

Hermione nodded. Dumbledore caught Hermione's eyes with his, and this time he felt no barrier preventing him from entering her mind. When he at last pulled back, the usually calm face of the Headmaster of Hogwarts was paling noticably.

This time, Hermione was unable to hold back the tears, and she fell back down on the bed, whimpering sobs escaping her. By showing the professor her memories, she had also been forced to relive the most traumatizing episode of her life. She'd seen everyone she loved – the ones who were left – die that day, had heard their agonized cries of pain and been splattered with their blood before she was standing alone among the dead, with only Dumbledore at her side against too many foes.

Dumbledore shook his head as if trying to will the pictures away himself. He then conjured up a vial of potion and tipped it into the girl's mouth.

"Sleeping potion, Miss Granger. We will talk later, but for now you must rest."

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes to the darkened hospital ward of Hogwarts. It was late, probably many hours before anyone would rise for breakfast and another day of work. Dumbledore had said it was in the middle of summer, no students would be bustling around the place for weeks.

She experimentarily moved her limbs around while still lying in bed, trying to see if any lingering damage remained. To her relief, the only thing she could complain about was the feeling like her head had been stuffed with cotton until bursting point.

_They are all dead. _

She winced with pain as the memory of what had happened on the battlefield hit her once more. And still… The fact that Dumbledore had sent her back in time to change the horrible outcome, to change what had become of the world, whirled around in her mind.

What was she to do? What was Dumbledore – the one still alive – going to do with her? Would he help her with her quest, or was she looking forward to spending life inprisoned in a ward at St. Mungo's, or even Azkaban?

Question upon question kept spinning around in her head. Then Hermione squared her chin and lifted her head, gazing out of the windows onto the dark grounds of Hogwarts.

She would do whatever it took to make sure her friends and loved ones would be born into a world of peace. The quest Dumbledore had set upon her without ever discussing it with her felt overwhelming, but who was she to back down from a task so intertwined with fate as this one? She was a Gryffindor down to her very bones, and such a noble assignment as this needed to be planned thoroughly. Whatever the 1976's version of Dumbledore had to say about it, she would see to it that the future didn't end up as the hell she had been banished from.

"Lumos," she whispered, as she conjured up parchment and quill. In the light of her wand she started to scribble down everything she could remember of Voldemort's all too successfull rise to power.

* * *

Some time later the faint morning sun was just entering through the high windows of the hospital ward. Hermione looked upp from her cramping fingers and the pile of papers she had been able to produce in the hours of the night and early morning. She'd heard someone moving around in the matron's private quarters for some time now, and wasn't too surprised when a younger version of Poppy Pomfrey came in to the ward, fussing over her awakened state.

"Tut tut, dear. You should be resting for a while longer."

She waved her wand over Hermione's body, seemingly checking for degeneration in her recovery. She gave a satisfactory nod when everything seemed alright, and continued to produce vials of different potions. Hermione swollowed them all without complaining.

It was indeed the same strict matron Hermione remembered from her time at school, just younger. She also knew that the Madam Pomfrey she'd known for years was dead. She had been tending to the many wounded residing in Hogwarts' hospital wing, while the castle found itself under attack. The whole wing, towers and all fell crumpled down with a shake that could be felt for miles. Needless to say, no one inside that part of the castle at the time, survived.

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. Of course she would meet people she'd remember. She just hoped it would be easier with time, to see those whose fate she'd so recently vowed to make better. Although, she suspected that she would always keep feeling the loss for what could have become of the reality she so abruptly had been forced to leave behind. It pained her to think that even if she would be victorious in her task to rid the world of Voldemort's evil, to prevent his horrible reign of terror, she never would be able to once more know those she so loved.

They weren't even born yet.

Harry. Ron. Neville. Ginny.

Hermione wiped at the wetness of her eyes. No use to be sentimental. There was no way to bring them back to life, none of them. The only way she could help would be to see to it that those who were to be born got to live long lives in peace.

Maybe she could even be there for them, by their side, somehow.

But never as the best friend.

_Never as the lover._

* * *

Dumbledore found Hermione arguing loudly with Madam Pomfrey when he swept into the hospital ward before breakfast. He smiled at the apparent renewed strength the young witch showed, and with twinkling eyes he turned to the matron.

"I do believe Miss Granger seems to feel better today, don't you Poppy?"

Poppy Pomfrey huffed irritable at the headmaster's obvious alignment with the girl.

"She should stay in bed for at least a couple of more days-"

Hermione whined: "But _no_! I feel perfectly fine! I'm going crazy in this bed, please, sir," Hermione pleaded with the man in dark blue robes. She could have sworn he winked at her.

"Poppy…"

Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes, and Dumbledore continued: "It will do Miss Granger good to get some air, I promise to stay by her side all the time and return her to your care the moment I see the slightest evidens of her being tired. She will be perfectly fine."

Dumbledore smiled at the two witches in the room.

After Hermione had changed into a pair of casual pants and a sweater that Madam Pomfrey procured up for her, she followed Dumbledore into the matron's fireplace, to floo to the headmaster's private chambers.

She'd been in his office many times, of course, but to step out of the fireplace into the beautiful cirkular room that apparently was the headmaster's private sitting room, took her breath away. Hermione gaped, and Dumbledore chuckled as he steered her to the group of armchairs by the windows. A whole quarter of the room's walls was set with lead framed windows that streched from the floor and all the way up to the high domed ceiling. The rest of the walls had built-in bookshelves filled to the brim with heavy tomes. The pale morning sun filled the room with an airy feeling of calm, and Hermione found herself drawn to the view over the grounds. She had never spent the summer at Hogwarts before, and the nature was breathtaking.

Assorted breakfast items was set on the table in front of the armchairs and Dumbledore signed for her to help herself to anything. She hesitantly warmed her hands around a cup of tea and started to nibble on some toast. Food had been scarce since they went into full blown war, and to see this monument of the better times she remembered from her youth, almost made her throat swell up again.

Dumbledore finally put his teacup down and turned over to her.

"Miss Granger, I-"

"Hermione, sir, please call me Hermione." She took another sip of her tea and continued to look out over the sunlit grounds.

He smiled. "Very well, Hermione. I've been trying to find out about the spell that-" At this he seemed to have trouble choosing his words. Finally he settled. "That the _older myself_ used to send you here. But unfortunately nothing I can think of have given any results. I have never heard of anyone travelling in time without the use of a time turner, and – as you know – those are only able to take one back for shorter bursts. I therefore suspect the spell in question to be of my own design. I did recognize the wand movement to have som qualities of my own style, but there is no way to be sure, of course."

Hermione turned in her chair and looked at the man she considered to be her mentor in the desperate ordeals they'd been through in her own time. She trusted him with her life, but didn't know how to proceed. How would she be able to convince him about the path she had choosen to follow?

Dumbledore cleared his throat and watched her through his half moon spectacles. "I've been in kind of a pickle since you showed me your mind last night, Hermione."

She considered this in apparent confusion. "What do you-"

"You see, as you so rightly told me, there are strict rules considering time travel. But when I saw myself in your mind – I, who _definately_ know of all these rules – making that kind of decision, I can't stop wondering that maybe some things are worth breaking the rules for."

Hermione's eyes shone with anticipation at his next words.

"I would like you to tell me everything."

Hermione went into an explanation of everything that had happen since the death of Harry Potter's parents, the night they were betrayed by one of their best friends. Dumbledore sat silent through her story, never interrupting as she told him about the adventures they went through during her first year, her second, third and fourth. He smiled at places and frowned at some things, but let her speak at her own pace. She told him about the prophecy that had had such an impact on all their lives, how they had started an illegal defense group, and she thought she could see his eyes twinkle at the mention of the name they had given themselves – Dumbledore's Army. But when she got to the part where they had battled Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic, the headmaster had an incredulous look on his face.

"You took on full grown Death Eaters, by yourselves? Fourth and fifth year students?"

Hermione nodded and kept going: "Yes. For a while, it indeed seemed hopeless. We panicked. Some of us were severely injured."

She unconciously touched her shoulder, where Dumbeldore knew there would be a noticable scar.

"We didn't know at the time, but Professor Snape had notified the Order of the Phoenix about what was going on. When they showed up, the battle began for real." She swallowed. "Harry's godfather died that night, killed by his cousin, Bellatrix. This was the first big blow to the Order. Harry was devastated."

"That would be mister Black, I presume?"

Hermione had tears in her eyes as she watched the clouds that lazilly moved across the clear blue sky. "Sirius had become the only parent-like person Harry would ever know. I think he lost the last remaining pieces of innocence that day. We all sort of did," she said hoarsly.

"The apperance of Voldemort himself scared the whole wizarding world into frantics, but at least they all knew the truth by then. I think Harry was relieved, in the middle of all the grief. We could start the fight, at last."

"That was when it all began. We; Harry, Ron and I, and the rest of the Weasleys of course, spent the summer after fifth year stationed at the Order's headquarters. Our battle training began for real, and Harry became obsessed with his duelling skills. He would keep us at it for hours each day. The leadership he had started to show in the DA-meetings now blossomed, and I think he somehow had accepted that he probably wouldn't come out of this alive. But he never spoke of it." Hermione stared out of the windows, her voice shaking a little.

"We had Mad-Eye and Kingsley and some other aurors teaching us advanced duelling and defence every time they could get away from the office. But the Ministry showed more and more signs of becoming corrupt, and our sources told us Order members were being followed, so at the end of the summer they hardly stopped by any more."

"Our sixth year was upon us, and nothing had happened since the battle at the Ministry. Our injuries were almost healed, and being cooped up at headquarter's made us all pretty restless. Little did we know we'd see more action than we had asked for. The Death Eaters they had arrested was supposed to be tucked away in Azkaban, but during our trip to Diagonal Alley we suddenly found ourselves under attack. It was horrible-"

Hermione closed her eyes.

"That was the first time I saw innocent bystanders die. There were children and families running for their lives, screaming in fear and pain. Blood-"

She cleared her throat.

"I found myself stuck in an ally with Antonin Dolohov, the same Death Eater that was supposedly in prison still, the man that almost killed me in the Department of Mysteries." She looked down at the cup in her hands. "The wound I got that night hadn't fully healed yet, and when I met him again, in the ally beside Flourish & Blotts, it was all I could do not to panic."

Dumbledore looked concerned. Hermione had paled all through her story.

"Maybe we should stop there-" he started, but she cut him off: "No!"

She looked up at him. "I need to tell you these things, please let me continue, sir."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well."

Hermione slipped the hem of her sweater over her left shoulder to show him the beginning of a thick scar. Dumbledore knew it would continue down her chest, almost to her right hip. Madam Pomfrey had been most disturbed by the marks she had on her body, and had wondered why the girl hadn't had them properly healed. Dumbledore knew, of course, that scars left by Dark Magic would be almost impossible to heal by ordinary means.

"I managed to keep Dolohov away from me for quite some time, something that never would have been possible without the training we'd gone through during the summer. I was dead tired by the time Remus somehow arrived by my side, and together we got in enough hits to make the Death Eater disapparate and leave the site."

"When we found the others it seemed to be over. Aurors had arrived to chaos and bloodshed. Wounded and dead lay everywhere, and it was horrifying to see the broken bodies of our fellow schoolmates on the ground." Hermiones eyes glistened. "Susan Bones and Lavender Brown were among the ones I recognized immidiately. More names were being announced afterwards, but those are especially etched in my mind."

Tears fell from Hermione's eyes now.

"Later we were told by a furious Kingsley that the aurors had been held back at the Ministry. This confirmed every suspicion the Order had about the higher offices of the Ministry being controlled by Voldemort. Our own spies told us that the Death Eaters' orders in Diagon Alley had been to capture Harry, alive. Apparently they were prepared to move more in the open than ever before."

"School started, with hightened security all around Hogwarts. You, Professor, had Order members patrolling the castle, inside and out, at all hours. At this time, more and more laws were passed by the Ministry. They were minor ones in the beginning, making it illegal for witches and wizards to marry muggle borns for instance. Muggle borns were being forced to registrate, and were banned from work at the Ministry. Over all, attacks on muggles went sky high. Many informal things were being kept from the public, but as members of the Order, we started to hear even more horrible rumors."

She looked straight at the Headmaster now. "I don't know, sir, how much you know about what the Nazis did during the second world war, against minorities of different kinds?"

Dumbledore's eyes went wide with understanding, and he sat up straight, horror painted on his face. Hermione had never seen him lose his face before, and had to tell herself that this man was twenty years younger than the one she'd known.

"Yes, professor. We started to hear whisperings about camps throughout Britain, where muggles and muggle borns were being kept for Merlin knows what reasons. Mind you, nothing was clear at this point, they were still just rumors."

"So came Christmas."

At this, Hermione stopped talking, and sat instead staring out of the window. After a long time she almost whispered her words.

"I was arriving at Hogsmeade station after the holidays. It was only me. I had been planning to get some extra studying done before everyone else got back and crowded the place. Harry and Ron would come after, some days later, along with most of the other students."

"When I got into Hogsmeade, just before entering the path up to the castle, someone grabbed me from behind and apparated away before I could do anything. I was very disoriented when we landed, and my captor managed to shackle me to a wall before I ever had any chance to reach for my wand."

Her hand shook, holding her teacup.

"Lucius Malfoy," she spat, bitterly.

Dumbledore shifted.

"He had been given the honour of a mission, to 'dampen the spirit' of our little Trio, as he told me. Apparently they thought it would do more damage _not_ to kill me. So I was beaten for hours. No magic though – Merlin no, I was to be learned to show respect the muggle way. It was my punishment for being a 'mudblood'. When I passed out from the pain, I was left alone alone for a while, and when I regained conciousness he raped me, several times."

This recollection was given with no feelings shown. It was as if she was telling him of the weather report for the upcoming weekend. Dumbledore watched the young witch intently. He wondered if she'd ever told her story before, and had every intention to wisk forward some calming draughts if she'd seem overwhelmed. But at the same time, he thought it good for her to talk about the horrible ordeals.

The girl looked up from her now cold cup of tea.

"Lucius Malfoy has a habit of carrying a cane with a silver head, in which his wand is being kept. After the… incident… was over with, he performed a heating spell on the silver knob, and then…"

She gave him a look, knowing that he probably already had seen all the distinctive anomalies on her body. Dumbledore indeed knew what would be on her left thigh – a red scarry circle of skin, about two inches in diameter, with the ornate letters LM burned into the otherwise white flesh. Madam Pomfrey had been most horrified by the mark and he too had wondered about it.

She sighed. "He branded me. As a reminder of who would always have the power over me and therefore over Harry and Ron too."

"I don't remember much more of the whole thing. Apparently, I had been found in the snow outside Hogsmeade a couple of days later, left as a message to Harry. The next time I woke up, I had Madam Pomfrey fussing over me at Hogwarts." Hermione gave a cold laugh. "It's seems to be a speciality of mine, doesn't it, waking up in the hospital wing after dealing with Death Eaters?"

Her small smile had a bitter touch to it.

"I never told the boys all of what had happened to me. I was _not_ going to let that vicious brute think he could gain leverage over my loved ones in such a barbaric way," Hemione huffed.

Dumbledore smiled. The sunlight was well in the room by now, and the way the girl's eyes had sparkled with her last statement made him truly admire her.

"And so, by denying him the attempted consequences, you beat him at his own game. Remarkable!" At the look she gave him, he smiled again. "I do not try to diminish your sufferings, Hermione. I just believe your way of dealing with it is commendable!"

With a flourish of his wand, the headmaster refilled the contents of their cups. Hermione smiled thankfully and took a sip of the warm tea.

"Thank you, sir. For letting me tell my story, without interruptions. I'm quite confused with the situation as it is."

"You can be most assured, dear girl, no one will be bursting in to Hogwarts at the moment. Take your time. Do you wish to continue, or are you tired? Should I escort you back to the infirmary?"

"No, no, I'm fine, sir. Just a little… overwhelmed. And it gets worse."

At this statement, Dumbledore sat up a little in his armchair and put his fingertips together under his chin, looking at her over his glasses.

Hermione started talking again: "In the beginning of March, the last defences of the Ministry finally crumbled, and the power fell right into the hands of Voldemort himself. By now he had managed to administrate enough of his people to places that would make the transition pretty much smoothless. There were so many battles and duells…"

She swollowed.

"With the power of the Ministry backing them up, the Death Eaters managed to get together their biggest attack ever, this time directed at Hogwarts." Dumbledore stiffened, and Hermione looked a little flushed.

"Hundreds of students were killed that day, along with many teachers. The Death Eaters brought giants to the battle, one of which managed to crash the whole north side of the castle. The hospital wing were packed full of injured people, who never had a chance to get out. Madam Pomfrey was one of the dead."

Hermione stifled a sob that was threathening to escape her. "It felt so unreal to see her again yesterday, and this morning. Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming, sitting here in an undamaged Hogwarts with the sun shining, watching birds flying over the tree-tops. Why me?"

There were more sobbing, and then a loud clearing of her throat. She continued: "Harry, Ron and I, along with many others, went underground after this. We barely managed to get out of the battle of Hogwarts alive, and day to day living became difficult. But others had it even worse. The whisperings of camps for muggle borns and muggles started to get confirmed, and at one time I saw it with my own eyes."

Her eyes were huge and seem to take over whole of her face.

"It was hell."

At these words followed the longest streak of silence yet from the tear strained girl. Now and then she sobbed. At last, after taking a deep breath, she continued in a hoarse voice.

"They were using muggles for sports, and torture. The Death Eaters treated them worse than animals, locked them up in crowded cages, starved them, let them fight one another for the chance to live one more miserable day. We heard of one place in particular where it was rumoured that the muggles were being fed other humans. Forced to cannibalism. I don't know if it's true, though."

"All the while this went on, the resistance – the people in of the Order – got picked, one by one. Everyone around us kept dying. The only thing that made Harry, Ron and me keep going was the fact that we had one last sliver of hope left."

Dumbledore's gaze hardened. "The prophecy?"

"It is part of it, yes. Although, I do have skipped some… quite important detailes of the story. The reason Voldemort could come back from the backfiring killing curse in the first place, was because he'd made several horcruxes before the occurrence at the Potters'."

Hermione watched the headmaster as she told him this, and could almost see the cogs and weels spinning beneath his white hair.

"You, sir, and Harry had set out to destroy the objects Voldemort had used in his attempts to live forever. In time, this quest included me and Ron too. Long story short – we suceeded. All seven of them were destroyed, and Harry could at last try taking him on in battle."

Dumbledore's head shut up. "Seven? He made seven horcruxes?" His eyes were wide.

Hermione nodded.

"None of us believed that Voldemort would stop at conquering Britain, and with his powers and numbers growing each day… It would be the end of muggles at first, and the world after that. By now thousands of muggles disappered each week, the country was in uproar and blame was thrown panicky wherever the muggle Prime Minister and his cabinet saw fit. There were talk of using nuclear weapons, but at what targets I do not know, as they had no idea what was causing the terror. The UN's Security Counsel vowed that any attack from Britain would be reciprocated in turn."

Dumbledore followed her story with a grim look on his face.

"What happened next, was that all the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix, and any allies we could muster up, were called together. It wasn't many left, but we had to try, for the sake of the world. We managed to lure Voldemort himself out, using Harry as bait."

Hermione swallowed.

"The last battle stod by the abandoned ruins of Hogwarts."

She cried in earnest now, hiding her face in her hands. "Roh-on fell first." She hiccuped. "He was cornered by three Death Eaters at once. He didn't stand a chance. None of us did. The prophecy concerning Harry and Lord Voldemort said that one of them had to die at the hands of the other, that no one would live, while the other survived."

"Harry was killed. Voldemort lived. That was it. You saw what happened. It was only the two of us left, and you sacrificed yourself to send me away. To change it, to save the world."

Determination and fierceness shone out of every part of Hermione Granger as she described how her world had come to an end. She seemed to draw magic from the air, her wavy hair going static in places.

"I _will_ change it."

She gritted her teeth and almost glared at Albus Dumbledore through wet eyes, as they stared at each other in the headmaster's sunlit rooms.

His answer were unexpected and short: "I agree."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 2**

"Well, my brave girl, we have much to discuss!" Dumbledore was the epitome of calm determination. "But this is not the time for us to throw ourselves into matters that need proper planning." The old man looked over his glasses, to see an almost stunned Hermione curled up in the armchair opposite his.

"Sir?" Her still wet eyes found his bright ones. "You will let me do this? Help me even?" She felt the lump in her stomach unknot itslef.

"Yes, dear girl. But for now, I think it best for you to get some rest. You have come out of a war, Hermione. It would be foolish to ignore the trauma both your body and mind has been through. I can't say I'm less than deeply horrified for the future you have been describing to me. I absolutely agree about the need for action, but the times are still rather peaceful. Some things have been stirring on the edges, yes, but the overall climate is one of peace."

Hermione seemed to relax and fell deeper into the chair she occupied. Her eyelids felt heavy and Dumbledore chuckled at the sight.

"I better get you back to Poppy before the witch has my magnificent nose hexed off. We'll continue this when you feel better."

Dumbledore escorted an exhausted Hermione Granger back to the infirmary. He promised to see her the moment she woke up from whatever potions the matron had her taking, and Hermione fell into a dreamless and relaxing sleep for the first time since she could remember.

* * *

The days that followed, Hermione spent in her bed in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey still insisted she needed to be watched over. Most of the teachers and staff had left Hogwarts for the summer, leaving the castle almost empty. Apart from Dumbledore, the gamekeeper, the caretaker and the house elves who still bustled around in the kitchen areas, the place was empty. Dumbledore had called for the matron at the appearence of the injured girl, and she in turn had decided to stay until Hermione showed signs of stable recovery.

Once a day, Hermione met with Dumbledore, and the two had taken to take long walks around the castle grounds. She had tried several times to bring up the future events, but the serene headmaster usually met her attempts with a silent smile, and instead pointed out something he found interesting in the surrounding nature.

In the beginning, Hermione felt annoyance over the man's apparent avoidence of the subject. But as the days went by, she started to truly enjoy the calm, silent company and light conversations. The strains in her body slowly went away, and the ever present numbing aches in her chest even seemed to lessen a little. She was still severely heartbroken over everything she'd been through, everything she'd seen and lost, of course, but the immidiate distress had gone away with Dumbledore's soothing and quiet presence. It also felt comforting knowing she wouldn't run into any nosy teachers during the summer, as she had no idea what to tell them about who she was.

It had been a week since she first woke up in a bed in the startingly unblemished school castle. The long summer days were warm and Hermione had ventured down to the lake, were Dumbledore found her around lunchtime.

"Good morning, sir." Hermione greeted him as she saw him approach her at the beach. "It's a beautiful day."

"It is indeed."

Dumbledore took in the girl's apparence. He was pleased to see the worry lines in her face smoothed out as she looked out over the glittering lake. Such a young girl shoudn't have to take the weight of the world on her frail shoulders, but here they were, about to do just that. He had made it his point to not discuss any subject heavier than those of their sightings in the green, leafy grounds. The traumatic happenings she'd been through would take a long time to get over, and he doubted she ever really would. But the immidiate danger did seem to be under control.

"I think it's time for us to discuss some of the more practical issues that needs adressing."

Hermione looked up at him from her place at the ground. "Sir?"

Dumbledore smiled and conjured up a wooden bench on the beach and sat down, signalling for her to do the same. She copied him.

"As you might have guessed," he started. "I have been spending the last couple of days researching the spell used to send you back in time. To no success, I might add. Nothing I can find speaks of spell-induced time travel, and no means available to me tells of any person being able to travel _forward_ in time."

Hermione's head spun around. She hissed: "I will _not_ attempt to go back to where I came from! What is there left for me there? For anyone?" Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"My dear girl, it was not my intentions to propose you did. I'm merely stating the facts that it does seem impossible to even try."

At this, Hermione relaxed, feeling a bit embarrased. She toyed with the hem of her sweather.

"So, that leaves us to plan the rest of your future, here in your past. Such a conundrum. If I were to suggest some more practical things, will you hear me out?"

Hermione nodded.

"First, I take it from your retelling of your school years that you should be 16 years old, yes?"

Hermione nodded.

"That would mean you are in need of a guardian for another year, until you turn of age. I would be delighted to take you under my wings myself, if you would let me?"

She looked surprised. "Of course, sir! It would be an honour!"

Dumbledore beamed. "Well, that's settled then. And on to the more pressing matters. Do you wish to finish your academic education here at Hogwarts, in this time?"

Hermione found it hard not to linger on feelings regarding the loss of her friends and loved ones. Would she be able to go to a school filled with people, knowing that she didn't really belong with them? She would be all alone in the place she'd once thought of as home.

Dumbledore saw her struggle with her thoughts and wished to help her out. "I do recommend you to finish your education, as it will be hard for you to get a future job without some sort of degree. If you wish, we could look into other schools, but I admit I'd rather keep you near me." He looked concerned. Had he pushed her too early?

"No! I agree, sir," Hermione hurried to say. "I will finish my last year, and I'd love to stay at Hogwarts."

"Splendid! But I would suggest you started your schooling with us at your sixth year, I seem to remember you mention not finishing it? It might make your assimilation a tad easier."

Hermione's face flushed. "Sir, I was top student of my year-"

"Of course you were! I would think no less of my newly acquired niece." He winked at her and held up a bag of sweets taken somewhere from the depths of his robes.

"Candy? No? Well, will you perhaps accompany me to lunch then, I think we should discuss some minor detailes concerning your new identity."

* * *

Hermione was a wreck. How had it come to this? Her palms were sweaty and she almost trembled with nervousness as she paced the chambers behind the Great Hall, waiting for Dumbledore's signal to enter. She would be presented to the school along with the first years, and do the sorting as well.

"Calm yourself, you silly woman!" she hissed frantically to herself. "You have been through war, but still gets stage fright over something as stupid as this!"

She could hear the noice from the newly arrived students, filling the hall. Hermione took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair.

The weeks leading up to September 1st had been quite uneventful. Dumbledore still refused to start taking actions, and they had only briefly touched upon the detailes having to do with her knowledge of the future. Instead, he repetedly told her that the time would come for all that, but that the only thing she needed to concentrate on for now was to get better.

She had kept up with the writings she'd started on her first day in the hospital ward, and found to her surprise that Dumbledore encouraged her to keep writing. This was, as long as she used the journal he himself had given to her, which had powerful concealment charms on its cover. That meant that only Hermione, and Dumbledore himself, would be able to open the book. This was of course to keep the contents from falling into the wrong hands. He had even told her that the journal probably would help her keep her head screwed on rightly and to Hermione's amusement he had laughed heartily at his own comment.

Hermione, on the other hand had another motive for keeping tabs of what she knew of the future. If something were to happen to her before they had had the chance to start their task, Dumbledore could get to the information needed. This was important.

After Madam Pomfrey grudgingly agreed to let Hermione leave the infirmary, and got back to her summer residence, Dumbledore had taken Hermione on a walk through Hogwarts. In a hallway on the third floor he had stopped in front of a rather frivolous painting, Hermione thought. It showed a basket of puppies, frolicking around, biting and tugging each other's soft ears. It was adorable!

After Dumbledore had spoken the password, the dogs had barked happily and swung forward, and they had entered into small but beautiful and homy chambers. It consisted of a small fireplace on the left side of the room, with a set of armchairs in front of it. At the other end, nearer the double windows overlooking the lake, a large bed was partially built-in into the wall. A door marked 'bathroom' was installed to the immidiate right after entering through the portrait hole.

"Oh?" Hermione said.

"I thought you could enjoy some privacy and comfort until the school year starts. Please make yourself at home." Dumbledore smiled at the girl's enthusiasm in exploring the small room. "After the sorting ceremony you will of course retreat to your assigned house, but as the dormitories will be empty still for over a month, this seemed to be the best solution."

Hermione swirled around, looking more spirited than he had seen her since she showed up on the castle grounds.

"This is wonderful, sir! Thank you so very much for letting me stay!" She looked around the room with a pleased look. "Telling you the truth, I was kind of going crazy in the hospital wing."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, I do suspect I know the feeling."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I was thinking…" She gnawed on her bottom lip, looking anxious. "Do you think I will be sorted into my old house again? Has this ever happened before, do you know anything about it?"

She couldn't imagine not being a Gryffindor.

At this, Dumbledore looked at her over his half moon spectacle. "One should not worry one self over things one can't do anything about."

With these cryptic words, the headmaster bowed his head at her, smiled serenly and swept out of Hermione's room, leaving her feeling slightly confused.

* * *

So here she was. September 1st, 1976. About to meet the people who would be her new friends, her new loved ones. The feeling of sick dread wouldn't leave her.

And so the noise from the Great Hall died out as she heard Dumbledore starting to adress the students.

"Welcome back everyone, students and staff. I will start this year with an addition to the traditional sorting of the new first year students. My niece has transfered from a smaller private witching and wizarding school, and will join us here at Hogwarts for her sixth and seventh year."

The excited whisperings even reached Hermione, where she stood in the back chamber. Transfer students were rare, and to think she was presented as Dumbledore's niece on top of it. She shook her head. She had prefer to live without that kind of attention, but the Headmaster had insisted. He'd said it would add to her safety.

"Miss Hermione Granger, will you please join us?"

She took another deep breath and walked out on the raised platform the head table stood on. The four house tables filling the lower area all seemed to give her their undivided attention. With a thousand eyes upon her, Hermione stepped up to the small stool placed in the middle of the podium and sat down, trying to ignore the stares.

Professor McGonagall came over to her with the old sorting hat she so recognised. Its shabbyness was as present in this time as in her's, and she started to wonder if it had been made this way.

The professor placed the hat on her head, and a short while later it shouted "Gryffindor!", to Hermiones delight. The hat's reasoning had been almost the same as in her first year, and it felt good to know she hadn't changed her personality.

She gave the hat back to Professor McGonagall with a smile, and proceded down to the table she knew so well. It felt good to hear their cheers at the hat's descition, although the vast amount of people in the hall was making her feel uncomfortable and she longed for the calm of her private chambers. Tonight though, she would be sharing the girls' dormitory in Gryffindor Tower as usual.

As she sat down at an empty seat near the huge double doors marking the entrance to the Great Hall, she couldn't help to notice some of the students further down at the table. She felt a pang in her chest as she recogniced a head full of almost black, unruly hair some seats away. It was disturbingly familiar.

She had known, of course, that some of the people she'd known in the future would be present in this time. She and Dumbledore had discussed it at length before the school start, and he had adviced her not to tell them anything of their destinies, that it could damage the events they knew would take place. Of course she agreed, but it didn't make it any easier to watch the Marauders laughing and joking, happy to be back at school.

Hermione fel sick. She forced a smile to the people she had sat down with, but most of all she wanted to run out of the hall. The sorting of the first years were well under way and she just wished for the evening to be over. The sight of younger versions of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had made her stomach flip. And she couldn't even make herself look in the direction of the young man who resembled her Harry so very much.

She wanted to cry.

* * *

Dumbledore watched Hermione from his spot at the head table as she sat down at the Gryffindor table, and noticed how she flushed slightly at the sight of James Potter. He knew the boys calling themselves 'Marauders' well, probably better than they thought, and he smiled inwardly at the good hearted but reckless boys. He just hoped they wouldn't disturb her too much, he had a feeling she had some aces up her sleeves and probably wouldn't hesitate to hex them if they annoyed her.

There was no way to predict how Hermione would react to Hogwarts being full of students again. Dumbledore had taken to introduce her as his niece to the teaching staff when they arrived after the summer holiday, and he had thought it went well.

She had smiled when she met the staff, been perfectly proper and stuck to the story they had made up together, that her parents had died in an accident just before the end of her last term. They had agreed upon making her a distant relative to Dumbledore, put in his care after the sad event that took her parents from her. He didn't think the story to be too far fetch either, as she was still in mourning of her friends, the people she actually had considered family. Dumbledore hadn't inquired about her parents since that first day in the hospital wing when he asked if she wanted him to contact anyone for her. She had never touched upon the subject since the flinch that followed his question, and he suspected it to be a deeper story there. But as she had been completely honest with him about everything else, he let it be and settled to marvel at the strength she showed in working her new identity.

Finally, the sorting was over with, and Dumbledore got up on his feet once more.

"That being done with, I would like to welcome you all back, our new students as well!" He beamed at the frightened looking children that with huge glittery eyes admired the grandness of the school. Then he looked out over the student body filling the hall. "Our Head Girl this year is Miss Kathy Hipsher of Raveclaw, and Head Boy is Mister Lucius Malfoy of Slytherin house. I know you all understand what a great honour it is to be given these titles, be sure you all show them the respect they deserve."

As polite applaudes filled the hall, Dumbledore nodded at the two Head students and smiled. He had of course informed Hermione of the decision to name Lucius Malfoy as Head Boy. He had feared she would be unable to understand that the man that had attacked and hurt her wasn't the same as the young man that would start his seventh year as top of the school. The headmaster hadn't needed to worry though, as she had shown remarkable maturity about it all, but he still seeked her out in the crowded hall at the pointing out of her would-be tormentor.

Hermione had indeed stiffened, and she looked up to see Lucius Malfoy standing up and make a nonchalant gesture with his hand at the applaudes following the headmasters praises. She thought it surreal, the way he looked so much like Draco; platinum hair, silvery eyes and sharp handsome features. Even the smirk was the same. She almost felt like giggling, and for a moment wondered if she'd gone mad. But it actually helped to think of him more as Draco, and not the man who had hurt her.

She unconciously traced a faint silvery line streching over her right cheek. The wound that had been inflicted by Lucius Malfoy backhanding her with his ringed hand had healed pretty nice, leaving no more than a whisper of a scar as a reminder. She picked at the food on her plate, her appetite had never really returned. The girls next to her had introduced themselves as Melanie Stearn and Jamie Tadlock, and they turned out to be fellow sixth year's. They were infuriatingly prying about her relation to Dumbledore, and as Hermione told her fabricated story, she noticed several other people at the table listening in and watching her. For a second, her own eyes locked with the gaze belonging to a young and carefree looking Remus Lupin some seats away. Her eyes widened and she hastily looked down at her uneaten food again.

The girls, Melanie and Jamie prattled about, telling Hermione all about the greatness of Hogwarts and of Godrick Gryffindor and the school house bearing his name, while they enjoyed the feast.

By now, the shyness of some of the nearby student seamed to wear off, and it was only by resorting to a fake yawn and by her telling them the little lie of her having travelled far all day and thus was really exhausted, she could get some space. Who was she kidding anyway, her whole existense was a lie from now on.

Things quieted down around her, but Hermione felt uneasy still. Several times she could feel her eyes sliding to the lively boys some seats down. The four boys – altough, like with James, she couldn't bare to think about Peter either just yet – seemed really popular among their fellow Gryffindors and almost commanded attention. After a while, she noticed them noticing her and when Sirius and Remus looked at her curiously between joking and shuffling food into their mouths, she couldn't help but feel warmth in her chest.

_They are alive._

Even if they didn't know she cared for them more than she could ever tell them, Hermione felt almost safe. She and Remus had come really close in her own time. He was like an older brother to her, and she owed him her life, several times over. And Sirius, the strikingly handsome man who Harry had come to view as the father he'd never known, his death had really gotten to her very core.

She had lost so many people, _but there they were, all safe._ Before she could help herself, she smiled warmly at nothing at all and then yawned, for real this time. These changes in her mood were indeed exhausting.

After what seemed like an eternity of loud noises and a general show of failed restaints of happiness at being back with all their friends, Hermione noticed how the students had started to trickle out of the Great Hall. She was entirely woken out of her deep thoughts when a tall, dark haired girl tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hi, your name's Hermione right? I'm Elisabeth Rushton, sixth year Prefect, welcome to Gryffindor. I thought I should show you the way to your dorm."

Hermione took in the girl in front of her. She had a no-nonsense air around her that at the moment felt like a fresh breeze in comparison with the chatter heads she'd been sitting next to during the meal.

"Thank you," Hermione responded with a smile. She fell in stride with the prefect, and they started walking the well known way up to Gryffindor tower. It felt weird pretending she didn't know where to go.

"I guess you're feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment?" Elisabeth asked, and Hermione let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, you could say that."

This had Elisabeth smiling too. "You know, Hogwarts haven't had any transferring students in the upper years for over a decade, you are quite the surprise. I was supposed to get you the background story of the school and the houses, but I did see you sitting next to Jamie at the table, I'm guessing you've had all the Gryffindor pep talk you can handle for an evening?"

"Ah, yes, the girls did go on quite impressively," Hermione said, and then added "And I've read '_Hogwarts – A history'. _Several times_. _"Hermione nearly succeeded in stifling another yawn. "It actually feels like home already, apart from the fact that I don't know anyone at all."

"I'm impressed," Elisabeth confessed. "Then you hardly need another… oh, here we are!"

The girls got to a halt in front of the portait concealing the entrance to Gryffindor common room. Elisabeth told the fat lady in the pink dress the password and when they stepped through the portait hole, Hermione's eyes scanned her beloved common room, which in this time was unblemished and whole, and not buried in the gaping stone rabble of the ruins she'd last seen. Her throat felt thick with emotions.

Not much was different from how she had known it. Warm colors of red and gold, a lot of comfy chairs and sofas, warm carpets and a big fireplace in the middle of the furthest wall. She followed the still talking prefect up the stairs leading to the girl's dormitory, but didn't respond to her chatter. She felt divided between missing the calm of her small, private room at the third floor, and that warm feeling in her stomach that told her that she was home. When she was shown her bed and had said a quick hi to the girls sharing her room, all she could think of was to get into her four poster bed, and after she'd perfomed a silencing charm on her hangings she fell asleep at once.

* * *

In the days following the beginning of the school year, Hermione did her best to stay in the background. She avoided personal questions at all costs, even from her two room mates who actually turned out to be quite nice. The girls got used to see Hermione's bed already made and she herself gone from their dormitory before anyone else had woken up. Hermione had indeed started to wake up really early in the mornings. The fact that the school had filled up with – to her – unknown students, had made her feel more out of place than ever. She had taken to sneak out and spend her mornings in her safe haven; the library, where she sat in one of the window ledges and watched the sun rise before heading to breakfast and the tiresome classmates.

There always seemed to be people by her side, telling her about the wonders of Hogwarts, asking about her old life. She even suspected there to be some inkling of romantic interest from some of the boys. But Hermione – who still had that gnawing feeling in her stomach of intense loss and sadness – had taken to simply produce a faint smile and answer evasively whenever someone wanted to know anything personal.

Some of the hardest moments occured when any one of the Marauders tried for her attention. She'd had a brief exchange of words with Remus Lupin one day, and Sirius Black had promptly sat down next to her in their first Transfiguration class. He had shot her a huge smile, but did seem to lose interest when his badly hidden curiosity for answers about herself didn't result in getting to know more about her.

Truth to be told, Hermione's heart went on a rampage during those short moments. She almost felt delirious with confused feelings for the young men she previosly only knew in their older forms.

And James Potter.

Him, she still couldn't even look at. Whenever she cought a glimpse of that nearly black, trademark Potter hair – well, she knew it to be any way – she found it immensely hard to breathe, and hid behind a book where she sat in the back of the class room.

All in all, the girl formerly eager to show off her knowledge and intellect now sat quietly through her lessons, never contributing more than absolutely neccessary. Oh, she always answered correctly to any directly asked question, but no more than that. And because the 6th year Gryffindor class consisted of more than 30 students, she managed to get out of the lime light after a while.

Of course, Hermione had not been able to produce or register any OWL results in this timeline, but Dumbledore took her word for it that she'd recieved Outstandings in everything but Defense Against the Dark Arts. And because he thought her fighting experience in the war would more than make up for the single Exceeds Expectations, he let her choose her preferred classes freely. He had told her that the records at the Ministry would have to be tampered with, but this – which to Hermione was quite a shocking statement – was delivered with such evidental conviction that she didn't question the morality in the headmaster's doing.

So, she was free to attend all her preferred sixth year NEWT-classes at the advanced level. It was this fact that had made Remus giving her his attention, when it was known to him that she had joined the select few who took so many classes. He had seemed quite interested in discussing some of the upcoming projects with her, but she had managed her evasive routine and slinked off as soon as possible. Instead, she went to sit quietly in the back of the room, looking anywhere but at the playful young men.

* * *

Two weeks went by. She had nightly tea with Dumbledore on several occations, and Hermione was satisfied to learn that Dumbledore had started to plan for some of the scenarios she had given him. The meadmaster observed with interest the fierce look in her eyes every time she got to talk about her life in the past future. The pain was still there at times, but more often than not, she seemed to get angry instead of sad. He concluded that her grieving must have changed nature and was immensly happy for her.

It was after one of these late night meetings, that Hermione walked through the corridores of Hogwarts on her way back to Gryffindor tower. It was getting pretty late, and the common room would be almost empty of people able to annoy her, but she didn't much feel like going back just yet. Hermione gnawed on her bottom lip and frowned at the darkness.

She had, of course, gotten premission from the Headmaster himself to be out after curfew, but she doubted he meant for her to do more than getting back to her dormitory.

So, she found herself standing in a dark corridore on the third floor, head full of contradictory thoughts. On one hand, that trickling feeling at the back of her neck, stemming from her war experience tried to tell her to get back to the safety of her bed. On the other hand, that other little voice in her head told her that the times were peaceful for once and that she very well could allow herself a break. Hermione sighed and distractedly pulled her fingers through her hair while twirling her wand with her other hand.

At times like these, she really missed Harry and Ron and all the rulebreaking they'd managed in their time.

_Damn, she missed them. _

And with that thought overriding all other, Hermione gripped her wand a little tighter and quietly crept along the shadowy walls of Hogwarts. She longingly thought of Harry's invisibility cloak, which had aided their nightly adventures so many times. She didn't fail to think that it propably was tucked away in James Potter's trunk right now. Oh, the irony.

After about ten minutes of moving silently, she had managed to get down to the ground floor without meeting anyone. Without noticing herself grinning at her little adventure, she seeked out one of the secret passages she knew from her other time. There was no way she could have gotten out of the castle via the huge oak entrance doors, which creeked horribly when opened, but her knowledge of the castle's secrets did her good when trying for a little walk by night.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke with a smile on her face. Her nightly stroll through the dew ridden grass of Hogwarts's grounds had done wonders. She had breathed the clear autumn air, revelling in the quiet stillness and done some serious thinking. It was still such a weird feeling to be stuck in a time that wasn't hers. She was all alone without any of the people she'd grown up with, and she'd felt like a temporary guest since she arrived. But when she lay in the damp grass, underneath the starlit sky of Scotland, she felt like she finally got it.

_This_ was her time now.

Forever and ever.

There wouldn't be war on the horizon for quite some time, and not at all if she could do anything about it. She had a purpose with her life and she ought to live it through.

And with these thoughts in her head, Hermione jumped out of bed with a tinkling laugh and went through her morning rituals while her room mates watched her sleepily, surprised, but quite amused. Jenny and Lydia had tried to get to know her for the first days, but they'd wrote off the new girl's reluctance of friendship to the loss of her parents not too long ago.

"Should we be worried?" Lydia groaned, and hid her head under her pillow. "We've had such wonderfully quiet mornings until now."

Jenny snorted and threw one of her slippers hard at the girl still in bed. "Tsk. Like you're one to talk, every morning after one of your dates, you're disgustingly chipper."

At these words, Jenny turned around and suspiciously watched Hermione who had already dressed in her school uniform and now taken on the project of trying to get a hairbrush through her wavy, thick hair.

"Actually," Jenny said. "You do sound like Lyddie after a date. Have you got anything to tell us?" Her eyes widened and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Ah, no. No date for me. I just…" Hermione tilted her head, looking out of the window and the raising sun. "I've just done some thinking, and resolved some issues."

She grabbed her bulging book bag and slung it over her right shoulder.

"See you guys later, I'm ravished!"

And with these words she left her dormitory for the first breakfast she'd actually felt like having since way before her life took a turn for the worst.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 3**

The morning felt quite pleasant as Hermione strolled into the Great Hall. With a slight smile on her face, she sat down at her usual spot at the Gryffindor table, and streched for some coffee to make up for the few hours of sleep she had gotten last night. She had just taken out the Arithmancy textbook to review the chapters intended for the day's afternoon lesson when her room mates Jenny and Lydia came in, spotted her and sat down next to her. The girls started to pile food on their plates and Hermione nibbled on her piece of toast, not really knowing what to say.

"So," Lydia began. "Hermione, you wanna go watch the quidditch tryouts today?"

Hermione finished a sip of her steaming black coffee and then let slip a small laugh. "Eum, no, sorry." She half turned to Lydia but kept her eyes on her book. "I'm not really that interested in quidditch. Usually my…"

She stopped abruptly. She had been on the verge of telling them of her two best friends, who always dragged her out to watch their trainings, be there sunlight or storms.

Hermione cleared her troath and looked up.

"I- Some of my old friends were always bugging me about watching their games. But maybe I'll come anyway. If it's okay?"

Jenny beamed. "'Course it is!" Then she choked on a forkful of eggs and spurted out "Oh, damn, I need to talk to McGonagall before class!"

She grabbed an apple and her books and rushed away, shouting over her shoulder before exiting the Great Hall: "See you guys down at the pitch when you both are finished with your freakishly intense day?"

Lydia snorted and shook her head as Jenny jogged away with her blonde braid bouncing down her back.

"What's up with that?" Hermione asked.

Lydia rolled her eyes and flipped her straight, black hair over her shoulder.

"Jenny found half an essay under the huge pile of clothes she keeps besides her bed, the messy trollop."

Hermione looked curiously at her.

"Well, it turned out to be the conclusive part of her Transfiguration homework that should have been handed in two days ago."

Hermione's eyes widened at the thought of Professor McGonagall's reactions to this negligence and felt the old reflexes of the nagging Prefect begging her mouth for entry into the conversation, but she resisted and got herself a refill on her coffee instead.

* * *

The first class of the day was Potions, which as usual was being teached in the dungeons. Hermione once again sat in the back, next to a surly looking blond Slytherin boy she thought was called Mason.

Hermione was of course still the book loving, knowledge hungry girl she used to be, but she had actually begun to enjoy the calm at the back of the classroom and therefore didn't mind when she and her partner managed to get through the whole brewing process without more than a few words uttered between each other.

She had found the other three school houses to be almost as annoyingly curious about her supposed relation to Dumbledore as the Gryffindors. But it was during this particular potions lesson she really got around to thinking about it. It had turned out that the subject was, as in her own time, shared with the Slytherins. It indeed seemed like a tradition to keep the most rivalling houses in close quarters together. But the closeness to the Slytherins had made her think of the way she'd been called 'mudblood' so many times, mostly by the most slytherin of them all – Draco Malfoy – and how her new identity effectively prevented any racial slurs being thrown her way. Sure, the pureblooded snakes seemed to dislike her like they did any Gryffindor 'too-trusting fool', but there was a hint of respect she'd never felt before. She didn't like to hide her true heritage, she was proud of being a muggle born! Proud of being able to beat the most preminent purebloods at almost everything she tried her hands at.

She woke up from her musings when she felt someone's eyes on her and spotted Remus Lupin looking over from his place a few seats away. Mason took this moment to shortly mutter something about their potion, and she turned back to her work, carefully avoiding Remus' tries to make eye contact with her throughout the lesson.

At lunch time, Hermione went to the library and found her preferred table abandoned, so she sat down to start the homework set for next Transfiguration lesson. She had never failed to hand in her homework with all its part present and she wasn't going to begin now, not even with her new laid back classroom attitude.

The library with its many looming bookcases and myriads of old tomes almost gave her a homely feeling as she started to scribble down her parchment. It felt exactly like old times, and perhaps this was why she didn't notice the person approaching her before he stood opposite her on the other side of the table, clearing his throat.

Hermione startlingly whipped her head up at the sound.

She stood up so fast her chair fell to the floor with a dull thud and she intuitively grabbed her wand. No more than a second had passed between the sound of the other person, and the fact that they stood opposite each other, Hermione's wand pointing directly at Remus Lupin's heart.

The tall young man with sandy blond hair raised one of his eyebrows questioningly but didn't flinch. Hermione relaxed, sighed and rubbed her eys with her left hand. She lowered her wand.

"Sorry," she said. "I really don't like to be caught unaware."

"I can see that." He stifled a chuckle. "Mind if I sit down?"

Hermione signed for him to help himself and retreived her own chair from the floor. She sat down again and slumped forward, resting her forehead on the table. Strands of her hair had come loose out of the messy bun she'd settled for in the morning and it was flowing around her head.

"You okay?" Remus asked. "You seem a little jumpy."

At this, Hermione's lips twitched and she fought a smile against the wooden board. "You could say that, yeah." She _did_ feel tense, but looked up again.

They were alone in the library, everyone else either down in the Great Hall for lunch, or out in the bright midday sun. Being this close to and alone with Remus Lupin indeed made her feel uncomfortable. Not even the good mood which she'd entered the day with seemed to help.

"I'm actually impressed at your reflexes," Remus continued with apparent admiration in his eyes. "Not many people have managed to get one over at me." He watched the new girl intently and noticed her wary expression.

Hermione knew his dorment werewolf characteristics made him stronger than he looked, and that he probably thought he could take her down even when she had her wand pointed at him. Perhaps he could in this time, she thought. She and the older Remus Lupin had trained battle duelling scenarios toghether so often, that when her instincts and reflexes grew, she had managed to corner and disarm him almost every time at the end. But he was a saddened man in the future she came from, not this happy, carefree boy who proudly wore a shiny prefect's badge and still had friends who were alive.

The sun shone in through the high windows, its beams showing off all the soft dust dancing slowly in the dry air. Remus noticed how Hermione's usually plain brown hair seemed to glow auburn in the light that fell upon it.

"You wanted anything special?" Hermione tried not to sound dismissive, but held back a grimace at her own lofty tone of voice.

Remus smiled at her and she couldn't help but marvel at his sparkling blue eyes, so full of life and laughs.

"Actually, I came to see if you were ready to take responsibility for your intelligence and agree to study with me?"

Hermione blinked.

"And what, prey, do you know of my intelligence?" She frowned.

It had been survival instinct at first, to be as invicible as possible, but she actually liked feeling anonymous, and not being the one people expected to answer the teachers questions at top speed.

"Oh, cut it out missy."

'Missy', really? She raised her eyebrows in surprise and almost laughed.

Remus leaned back in his chair and started ticking off facts on his right hand fingers.

"You take all the advanced classes, I never see you without that massive book bag of yours and you've yet to disappoint McGonagall in her fierce questioning of us in class. If she is pleased with you, I'd say you're smart."

Then, as an afterthought he added: "And you are related to Dumbledore." This last piece didn't seem to carry as much weight as the other he'd presented, and Hermione felt greatful. She didn't want to ride on Dumbledore's name. But still…

"So much for anonymity," she muttered. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Remus smiled hugely. "Good! You free after second class today?"

"Yeah, -oh, no I mean. Sorry, I promised my room mates I'd go see the tryouts with them."

"Ah, that." He frowned at the reminder. "I promised James and Sirius I'd come too. Ah well, I guess we can find a good time later." Big smile again.

Hermione felt almost drawn towards the happiness radiating from him.

_I can't allow this boy to get so beaten down by life..._

The thoughts whirled in the back of her mind while she took in the boy who flipped through his calendar. Before she knew what had happened, he had planned several study sessions, to take place both in the library and in the Gryffindor common room over the following weeks.

She felt dazed and couldn't do much more than nod when he talked, and slowly rub her temples. She felt a headache coming on.

"Perfect!" Remus slammed his planner shut and retrieved his bag from the floor where he'd left it when he sat down. He turned around to leave but threw one last grin over his shoulder. "You really should go get some fresh air before next class!"

And with that he went away and left Hermione feeling shell shocked and slightly nauseous.

* * *

Remus Lupin supressed a laugh as he set off out of the library after his encounter with Hermione. He grinned at the thought of her evidential reluctance to agree to study with him, and how he had decided it would be best to get on with the planning anyway and just let her know it had been done. And it worked, or at least he hoped it did. He'd have to see if she'd actually show up at all, but his gut feeling told him it would be worth the trouble getting to know her.

As the prefect strolled through the entrance doors and out on the grounds of Hogwarts, he heard a shout: "Oi, Moony!" Looking around, he spotted his partners in crime lounging on the grass not far away; the three sixth year Gryffindor boys that together with himself made up the group that had named themselves 'Marauders'.

"Where'd you go?" asked James and looked up at him, his eyes shadowed by his hand against the bright sunlight. The boy lay streched out on the grass, with his head on his book bag. Hermione's uneasy feeling concerning his likeness with the one she knew to be his son was well grounded, as Harry had looked almost identical to James Potter. The only thing that came out different was the fact that James' eyes was hazel rather than the bottle green ones Harry had gotten from his mother.

"Just made some study dates with that new girl." Remus put his school robes on the ground and sat down on them and got out his assignment for the Arithmancy lesson that was scheduled after lunch. He started revising the text while James and Peter looked at him.

"That Hermione chick?" Sirius asked, as he lay on his back with his hands under his head, eyes closed. He too had put down his black robes, so to not get grass stains on his white shirt. He had loosened the red and gold tie and looked as nothing in the world could bother him. "She seemed kinda dull if you ask me." He sat up on his elbows and pushed the black hair out of his eyes. Seemingly bored he looked out over the many students basking in the autumn sun.

Peter, who had been watching some third years playing with a fanged frisbee got into the conversation. "Perhaps she's just shy?"

Peter stood out a bit in the bunch of self assured young men, as he was a little smaller and perhaps a little more reserved than the others. But he had an honest face and was always up for the many adventures they liked to plan. "I mean, it can't be easy to have your parents die and be forced to go to an all new place with lots of unfamiliar faces, can it?"

Remus, who'd continued to scribble down his parchment paused for a moment and said: "Must be horrible."

"Yeah," said James and yawned widely. He threw an arm over his eyes. "Too bad she looks like she's going to be sick every time anyone speaks to her. I'm with Peter on this one, she's just shy."

"Nah," Sirius said, lazily, as he winked at a pretty fifth year girl sitting nearby. She blushed and turned frantically to her girlfriends. Sirius lost interest and fell down on his back again. "I'd say she's probably mostly dull."

And the conversation turned to other subjects.

* * *

The tryouts for the Gryffindor quidditch team interested a lot of students, as Hermione discovered when she went down to the pitch, looking for Jenny and Lydia. She had to search the crowded stands for quite some time before she saw someone waving at her.

As Hermione made her way up to where the two girls were seated, she started to question herself about if this loud event really was something to partake in.

_Live in the now, stupid girl_, she thought, and bit back every argument she could come up with for returning to the quiet castle.

"Hey! You found us," Lydia smiled at her. "I don't know what I'd done otherwise, as Jenny here is stuck in her own wet dream right now." She thrust her elbow into the blonde's side and didn't even got a response.

Hermione looked confused, but turned and looked at what Jenny had her eyes glued at. She laughed. "Ah, I see."

The quidditch pitch was swarming with mostly boys, well built and donned in matching sports gear, flying around and showing off. Now and then, the evening sun glistened orange and golden in the metal details of their uniforms.

Then she stiffened, and her stomach turned as James Potter swept in on his broom, a Captain's badge shining on his chest. He pointed his wand at his throat and muttered something, and the next moment his voice could be heard all over the area. The stands erupted in cheers at the sight of their captain and some of the people trying out for a place on the team started to look nervous.

"Today we'll be looking for a keeper, a beater and a seeker," his voice boomed. "I want everbody who's interested to group together according to positions-" he pointed out areas for each group, "-and everyone else, get out of the bloody air right now!"

After some scuffling and chaos, the tryouts were ready to start for real. It turned out that Jenny had a severe crush on one of the guys already on the team, and that's why she was in her own world at the moment. Hermione forgot his name right after she'd been told it though, as Sirius Black chose this moment to sweep in next to James in the air, smiling hugely and holding a beater's bat. The wind had his black hair whipping around his face as they spoke for a second, hovering in the air, seemingly planning the best way to sort out the talents among the crowd.

Hermione had forgotten all about Sirius and James playing for the Gryffindor team in their school years. But it didn't feel quite as horrible watching them in this context as in class, or in the common room. She tried to relax her muscles and thought about her vow to live in the now.

It actually turned out to be kind of a terapheutic evening for Hermione, and when at last James presented his new team to their house, she even cheered along with the others. It had done her good to be able to watch the boys without the situation being too wierd. She even felt good enough to silently compare James' quidditch techinique to Harry's and found that they probably would be matched. But as James was a chaser while Harry had played seeker, the comparison didn't really work out. The main thing though, was of course that Hermione was able to think of them both without resorting to crying or feeling faint.

As Hermione trailed behind Jenny and Lydia on the way back to Gryffindor tower, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face to face with Remus Lupin and beside him – Peter Pettigrew.

"It's just me, don't hex me," Remus said and smiled. "Having fun?"

But Hermione just stared at the boy standing next to him, he who had caused them so much misery in her other time. She had avoided Peter even more than James Potter since school had begun, and this was the closest they had come yet.

Peter looked as shy as he had thought _her_ to be, and seemed to blush a little under her penetrating gaze. The moment seemed to last for hours, but then she blinked a couple of times and slowly let out the breath she didn't know she'd held. She turned back to Remus again.

He looked confused and as if he wanted to ask her about what had just happened, but she managed to shoot him a smile and evasively started to talk about the new team's chances to win the quidditch cup. They chatted lightly on the way back to the common room, Peter walking some steps behind them.

It was first when Hermione got back to her dormitory that she noticed the way she had gripped her wand under her robes. It was held so tightly that she almost wasn't able to let go off it.

* * *

Hermione was fuming, staring into the darkness.

She was laying in bed, listening to the heavy, slow breathing from her sleeping room mates, but absolutely unable to relax. The short encounter with Peter had left her feeling incredibly restless. She spun around for the twentieth time and furiously punched her pillow, and when nothing seemed to help she sighed and quietly sneaked out of bed, careful not to wake anyone up.

After getting dressed in simple muggle jeans and a shirt she put on her black school robes on top and continued down the stairs to peak into the common room. The fires in the grates was slowly dying, and the dim light in the room showed, to her delight, that no other gryffindors were awake. This made it all easier to move through the room and out of the portait hole.

As Hermione had had no idea what she was going to do when she first decided to get out of bed, she now found herself hesitantly standing in the dark corridor, firmly avoiding the Pink Lady's disapproving looks.

The stone walls were dark and the castle chilly in contrast to the cozy and warm common room. Hermione swept her robes thighter around her and wondered if Dumbledore would be awake, though she doubted it. Anyway, she found herself unwilling to storm into the headmaster's chambers just for some late night – or more accurately 'early morning' – chat. The difficulty she had experienced when it came to handle Peter's prescence earlier during the evening, had made her itch for some updates concerning her personal quest. She had of course told Dumbledore about Peter's treachery during their many talks, but he had urged her to give the boy the benefit of a doubt, just as she had promised she would do with Lucius Malfoy. As none of them actually had done anything horrible yet, it would be contraproduvtive to punish them beforehand.

Hermione grimaced and silently cursed the old man's ability to act rationally all the time. Looking over her shoulder and sensing nothing sinister, she silently started walking through the corridors and down the stairs, moving from shadow to shadow.

At the ground floor, she felt her heart jumping into her throat when she _just_ managed to avoid a teacher patrolling the castle. A full second before the wizard turned the corner and would have seen her in plain sight, she threw herself in behind a fake wall she knew would conceal a hollow space, big enough to hide in.

It now happened so, that when Hermione Granger, former prefect and rulefollower extraordinaire found herself out and about the castle for the second night in a row – and on top of everything, hiding from teachers – she nearly shrieked nervously at her own recklessness. The thrill of almost being discovered made her having to clamp both her hands over her mouth, to repress the giggle she felt coming on. When she was certain that no teacher were left in the area, she snuck out of her hiding place, crossed the big open space before the swivelling staircase and headed for the trusty passage she knew would once more allow her to get out of the castle.

What Hermione didn't know, was that James Potter and Sirius Black, out on a late snack run to the kitchens, were avoiding the patrolling too. With the aid from their clever map they had no problem dodging obstacles in their way, especially when they were hiding under the same invisibility cloak she had longed for just the night before. They had silently stopped right on the ground floor to wait out the prescence of the teacher, and with curious interest watched the tiny dot marked 'Hermione Granger' as she turned a corner and came into their view.

The boys' eyes widened with surprise when they saw the new girl diving for cover just in time, and into a niche they didn't know was there! It hadn't been marked on the map until they, the creators, had been made aware of its existence, but now the magic folded into the parchment worked its mojo, and before their eyes a small area was inked in. At this discovery, they looked at each other with matching grins. After a while, they noticed the petite girl poking her head out to make sure the coast was clear.

"What the…?" Sirius let out a whisper when they saw her continue into the not so commonly known secret way out.

James looked delighted and leaned in next to his mate to ask "Tired?" under his breath, and when Sirius hissed "'Course not!" he grinned widely. "Me neither, come on!"

And with that they followed her outside.

As soon as Hermione found herself outside in the dark, she succumbed to the giggles she had been forced to suppress earlier. She felt almost deliriously full of adrenaline, and this fact made her even more jittery, especially when this little show of rebellion was so innocent in comparison with being chased by Death Eaters.

Her feet took her down by the lake, where she sat down on an old log and watched the ripples on the water. She breathed in the chilly night air and thought about the anger that had prevented her from falling asleep. It was still there and Hermione wanted nothing more than to punish Fate for putting her in such a crappy position. She wanted to scream and punch and throw stuff, and not at all to deal with horrible treacherous maggots who destroyed everything good in the world.

She buried her head in her arms and groaned loudly, not daring to utter the scream she really wanted to go for. Then she got up and looked for the heaviest rock she could manage to throw without using any magic. The splash when it hit the water felt satisfying, but not enough.

James and Sirius stood hidden under the cloak some way away, and were quite amused by the witch's tantrum. They watched as she kept throwing things, her hair coming out of its braided confinement, the moonlight making it look like she wore a messy halo. She had left her outer robes by the log she first sat down on, and when she finally sank down by the water she was panting and quite warm even without them.

Hermione wiped some sweat off her brow. Looking up at the starlit sky, she noticed the moon not far from being full. With a pang in her chest she sat up straight. There wouldn't be any wolfsbane potion yet in this time, and Remus would have to go through his transformation with extreme agony every month. The werewolf had teached her to brew the potion for him when no one else was availiable, and by now she knew it by heart.

_How could she have forgotten? _

She groaned and wanted to throw _herself_ into the lake this time. Then her heart almost stopped and she hurriedly got on her feet. This time cold sweat broke out on her lower back, as she was certain there had been something moving about not far away. She frantically whipped around and cursed the fact that she had left her wand in her robes by the log.

"Show yourself!" Hermione hissed into the darkness. She clenched her fists, but could see nothing but the sleeping castle over at the other side of the open grounds, and the Forbidden Forest which stood silent ever further away. Carefully she started to walk over to where her wand was laying.

James Potter tried very hard not to laugh out loud, but wasn't really successful. They had moved to hide behind some large boulders and Hermione's hearing had picked up the fact that teenage boys trying not to break out into guffaws didn't do a great job with walking silently.

Sirius rolled his eyes and punched his mate on the arm, not too lightly. "Screw this," he muttered under his breath and got out from under the cloak.

"Hey there little lady," he said with a huge smile. He saw Hermione turning around with something looking like panic on her features. When she noticed James too behind him she froze on the spot, seemingly not breathing.

"A little late for a walk, huh?" James asked happily. "Hey, how did you know how to get out?"

Hermione watched the two young men standing some way away. Sirius had leaned back, seemingly lazily aganst the rocks, and with his arms crossed over his chest he looked for the world like he was meant to be there all along. An arrogant smirk played on his face and his eyes looked almost black from afar.

Staring at him and James, the latter looking more amused than anything, Hermione suddenly swore loudly, and to the two marauder's amusement she stomped away to retrieve her robes and wand.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Hermine thought irritably. She didn't want their attention, especially not when she felt like she would like nothing more than curse something into oblivion.

She grabbed her things and turned towards the boys again. Not really knowing what to do, she nodded at them and then said "Well, goodnight then."

James and Sirius watched the girl disappearing back up to the castle before speaking.

"That was weird, huh?" James said.

Sirius yawned. "Yeah. Let's get back too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 4**

With her heart beating fast, Hermione almost ran up to her dormitory again, able to do so without meeting anyone on the way this time.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ she chanted again and again in her head, groaning at the thought of James Potter and Sirius Black seeing her losing it down by the lake. Of course they'd be there, and under that stupid cloak of their's too. It would be too much to ask otherwise.

Bad idea, _bad idea._

She gritted her teeth and hurried up to the portrait hole, ignoring the glares she once more received from its guardian. After speaking the password she climbed in and went straight through the common room and up to her room. As she fell into bed, she could see through the high window, the tell-tale of morning as the sky was painted a faint pink at the very horizon.

A short while after Hermione had disappeared into her dormitory, James and Sirius also managed to get up through the castle and into the portrait hole without incidents, though the fat lady had muttered something about insolent students before opening up into the common room.

"Oh, man," groaned James and lounged himself on one of the many couches in the circular common room, "I can't make it up to bed, I'm just gonna sleep here, mate."

Sirius raised his eyebrows slightly and just looked at his best friend who had slung his arm over his eyes and apparently had every intention to stay right where he was.

"Wathever," Sirius yawned. He took notice of the time. If any one of them would get some sleep before class they had to get going. "Just remember what happened last time you woke up down here." And then he went upstairs to the boys' dormitories and their bedroom, dropped into bed without even taking off his shirt and pants and was asleep within a minute.

James on the other hand indeed remembered that he actually preferred _not_ to wake up with a horde of young girls staring and giggling at him where he had been sleeping, probably drooling.

"No way," he muttered and managed to drag himself upstairs.

* * *

If Jenny and Lydia had hoped for a repeat of the previous morning, they hoped in vain. Instead of laughter and smiles, the girls was awoken by a loud 'thud!' as Hermione threw the first book she could lay her hands on at the alarm clock when it started to ring.

"Ah, that's more like it!" Lydia yawned, and Jenny sleepily sat up in bed, looking over at Hermione who had buried herself under the covers.

"You are a strange person Hermione, y'now that?" Jenny got up and started her morning routine.

Hermione muttered something about not getting much sleep and refused to get up until Lydia had treathened to soak her entire bed with water. Her already bad mood became worse as she remembered how Remus Lupin with his scheming had set them up for a study session that evening.

After quite a bit of uncoherent ramblings, of wich the other two girls amused only caught fragments like 'stupid boys', Hermione managed to get herself dressed and presentable. They went down together to the Great Hall.

"Ya know," Jenny began as they'd sat down for breakfast, "You could tell us who it is you're so annoyed with." She threw Hermione a meaningful look and leaned over the table to get them all goblets of pumpkin juice.

Hermione sighed and once more streched for a coffee cup. The happenings of the day before had left her feeling drained and exhausted. "It's no one, I just didn't get much sleep last night. It makes me cranky." She tried to smile at the two girls, as they really had been nice to her. "Sorry."

"Nah, no biggie," Lydia said. "But just so you know, we liked hanging out with you yesterday."

Jenny nodded, her mouth full of food.

Hermione looked at them, cheeks blushing slightly. The friendship she'd had with Harry and Ron had been so different, and after all they'd gone through together, their relationship had become so much more than that. Sometimes it felt like even 'family' wasn't enough to describe it. But she had never become close with other girls. This was new to her.

The Great Hall filled up with noice as students trickled in for breakfast. If one were to look up at the charmed ceiling they would see a beautifully clear morning sky.

_Perhaps this won't be such a crappy day after all_, Hermione thought, downed the last of her second cup of coffee and stood up to collect her things for the first class. She waved goodbye to Lydia and Jenny and headed out of the Great Hall. With her head full of longing for her bed, she only got a few steps out onto the ground floor when she heard someone calling her name.

"Miss Granger!"

It was said with an all too familiar drawl, and a cold feeling trickled along her spine. Turning around, she found herself in the direct vicinity of the platinum blond Lucius Malfoy. He was as tall as she remembered him, slim and immensely sharp looking with a hint of arrogance behind the silver grey eyes. The seventeen year version of him remembered her all too much of his grown up self.

_Bloody hell_, she thought, feeling faint. The last time they had been so close to each other she had thought it'd be her last moment, that she was about to die. She discreetly felt for her wand and narrowed her eyes slightly as he approached her.

Lucius Malfoy took in the girl in front of him. She was quite pretty, had a petite build and sort of a wild hair. A Gryffindor though, and a foolish bunch they were, the lot of them. But some things had to be done by the rulebook, and his position came with responsibilities. With a calculating look in his eyes he shot her a somewhat cold but polite smile and extended his right hand to her. "I've been meaning to welcome you to Hogwarts, Miss Granger. Lucius Malfoy, Head Boy."

Everything felt surreal.

Apart from the hair - Draco had gone for a shorter, slicked back look, Lucius' was shoulder length and extremely soft looking - this seventh year Slytherin looked so much like his son would come to do, down to the silver grey eyes. It was easy to remember in detail how both Draco and Lucius had hurt her, though in very different ways.

Hermione bit her lip and swallowed.

_Ah well, here goes nothing_, she thought and proceeded to hesitantly shake his hand, feeling extremely tense. She managed to keep her voice from shaking though.

"Thank you. And please, call me Hermione."

_Oh my, Dumbledore will be proud_.

A bitter taste of bile filled her troath. She tried to ignore it. Lucius looked pleased.

"I certainly will do, _Hermione_, and the same to you. Feel free to skip the formalities." He contradicted his speech somewhat by courteously bowing his head, while keeping her gaze firmly.

Hermione couldn't believe it, it seemed for the world like he_ was sucking up to her_. Could it be that her status as Dumbledore's relative somehow had made the pureblooded Malfoy wanting something from her? Slytherines didn't reached out to Gryffindors, especially not Malfoys. Perhaps it was all a clever joke.

All Hermione wanted was to get out of there.

"Nice to meet you… _Lucius_, but I do have a class to attend." She broke free from his gaze and nodded her head stiffly in a way she hoped would seem like a goodbye between schoolmates and not too much of a dismissal.

Breathing heavily with suspense she hurried along, as not to be late for her lesson, muttering: "I should get a bloody medal for that performance."

Lucius, on the other hand, was no fool. He kept his silvery gaze on the Gryffindor girl as she ran off, feeling slightly irritated by the way she had seemed so flustered by his prescence. He was used to girls throwing themselves on him, why shouldn't they? And even though she resided in that foolish muggle-lover's favorite House – and was his relative on top of that – the fact remained that Lucius hadn't been turned down, ever.

Oh well, no one was to say he didn't enjoyed a challenge. And the Malfoys always got what they wanted.

* * *

Hermione's bad mood had made a comeback, and with double force after the encounter with the Slytherin. She stormed into the Transfiguration classroom just after Professor McGonagall entered, and earned herself a stern look of disapproval from her Head of House.

Hermione seethed with suppressed irritation and wasn't at all surprised when she found the only empty desk to be the one next to one seemingly very relaxed Sirius Black.

_Great, just great._

Sirius looked a little like he had slept in his clothes – an observation that actually was correct – and both his white oxford shirt and the golden-and-red tie were slightly wrinkled. In spite of this messy apparence, he still had a sort of aristocratic air about him. The black hair that fell slightly in his stormy grey eyes, the way he held himself, even when he leaned back lazily in a school chair – it all implied 'Fine Family'.

Irritably, Hermione sat down. How come that someone like him managed to get out of bed without even getting dressed properly, and still could look like a god? She glared at the marauder, feeling both embarrased over their nightly encounter, and annoyed that he hardly even looked tired when she was ready to drop dead. Wanting nothing more than to whine childishly, she leaned forward and put her forehead down on the desk, just wishing the day to be over.

Sirius had been watching with interest as Hermione entered the class, once more looking more than pissed off, and he wondered why. This new version of the Dumbledore-girl was actually quite entertaining and Sirius was bored. So he casually leaned over to her and whispered: "I hear that most people tend to feel better after a good night's sleep, maybe you should try it?"

He chuckled softly at the responsive death glare she sent him and felt very pleased with himself.

"For your information," Hermione hissed back, keeping one eye on the professor who had started the lecture. "I don't think someone who looks like he's not been to bed at all should be so cocky."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Be careful darling, or you might hurt my feelings." He threw her a serious look and then ruined it by grinning madly. He confidently ran his fingers through his hair.

This last comment made him receive another scowl from the girl. "Oh, shut up or I'll hex you!"

At this, Sirius smiled widely. He really started to enjoy bugging the witch that had turned out to be rather feisty when annoyed. So much in fact, that both of them during their quarreling failed to notice how Professor McGonagall after a while came to be standing in front of them, looking furious.

"Mister Black! Miss Granger! What is the meaning of this?" Her sharp tone of voice went through the now silent room like a knife through paper.

Their heads shut up instantly. Hermione looked horrified.

"Professor, I - -"

"There are _no_ excuses not to work in my classroom, this is an advanced NEWT-level lecture and I can't be having with people not making an effort. Detention both of you!"

McGonagall swept around and waved her wand. "For next lesson everyone, you shall hand in a two foot essay on the dangers with facial transformations." The instructions turned up on the black board. As the room emptied of people, Hermione and Sirius stayed seated, waiting for their punishment.

James Potter had apparently found the whole incident hilarious, and gave Sirius a huge smile and the thumbs up before getting out with Remus by his side. The prefect had a small frown on his face and looked a little concerned. Sirius seemed to take it all in stride, but Hermione felt devastated. She had never been given a detention in her whole life.

When they at last were alone with the head of Gryffindor House, McGonagall wasted no time. "Report to my office at 8 o' clock tonight, sharp. Both of you, I am _very_ disappointed."

Hermione looked flushed and hurried to say "Sorry, Professor." Sirius, in turn, also had the decency to look apologetic and said "It won't ever happen again, Professor." He then shot the frowning woman a dazzling smile and traipsed out to where the other two marauders stood waiting.

Hermione gritted her teeth as she followed him out of the classroom. She fully intended to ignore everything this day would throw at her. This included the infuriatingly chipper Sirius Black who looked really pleased despite the upcoming detention. He looked like he was about to say something when Hermione interrupted him, standing as tall as she could in front of him and dabbing her finger into his chest. Her anger seemed to have rendered her speechless though, and after a second she resorted to just hiss dangerously: "Not a word!" and then stomped off.

James had started to laugh out loud at the sight of the petite girl giving his friend a scolding, and this last bit resulted in him having to hold himself up by Remus' shoulder.

Remus sighed. "Prongs, I don't think you're helping at all." He pushed off his mate who fell down on the floor, still laughing.

Sirius, who ignored Hermione's anger retorted seriously after her "But love, we do have a date at 8 tonight, you won't stand me up now, will you?"

She could hardly believe his atrocity in the matter. Furiously she shouted over her shoulder: "Just bugger off will ya!"

* * *

Lunch came and went, and by the time there was time for class again, Hermione's anger had evaporated. Well, most of it. She had managed a rendezvous with Jenny, with whom she also shared the Herbology lesson in the afternoon. Tending to plants in the greenhouses out on the grounds felt soothingly easy to handle after the morning's stressfull experiences.

Hermione told Jenny about her fight with Sirius Black, and got all the sympathy only a girlfriend could muster up. Had it been Harry or Ron, they probably would have told her to leave it, that it was all just a laugh. She could see herself getting used to female company.

Another aspect of this particular class was that none of the four boys but Remus attended it. He went ahead and apologized for his mates' stupidity, and as Hermione had cooled off she decided to let it go.

"It's only a detention right? I was in a bad mood beforehand, I probably overreacted."

Remus grinned, his hands buried in a pot. "I actually had hoped you wouldn't go so easy on him, Sirius could use someone who takes him down a peg or two." He tried to push his hair out of his eyes without getting the damp soil all over his face, but failed. "Dammit."

Hermione beamed at him and did a simple cleaning spell. She was starting to like this happy version of the werewolf. Her bad conscience concerning the forgotten wolfsbane potion ate at her insides, but she knew it wouldn't be ready in time for this fullmoon, which was only a couple of days away. She'd have to consult Dumbledore about the matter of how to present it to Remus for next month, but that was not important. It just felt good to know she could prevent the agony from now on.

Jenny waved for her to come over to her workbench at the other side of the greenhouse. She looked particulary curious and whispered: "I didn't knew you know Remus Lupin!"

"What?" Hermione struggled with a large potted plant and felt confused at the notion.

"Remus! Did you know that Lydia has sort of a crush on him?" And then Jenny's eyes widened and she frantically clamped her hands over her mouth. "Oh no! _You_ are dating him, aren't you? It was him you muttered about this morning and now you have made up, oh no…" she ranted on in a muffled tone, getting dirt all over herself. She sat down on a wooden crate, looking crestfallen. "Oh, Lyddie is gonna be devastated!"

Hermione couldn't help but snort. "Calm down, I'm not dating anyone."

"Really?"

Hermione shook her head. "Me and Remus are just planning to study together. I can see if he'll think it's a good idea for Lydia to come too if you like?"

Jenny beamed and looked so happy that Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

At five to eight that evening Hermione was found waiting outside McGonagall's office. At the exact moment the clock struck eight, Sirius Black rounded the corner of the corridore and joined her, seemingly without any haste. He shot her a bright smile which Hermione ignored and instead knocked at the door. They were told to enter.

The professor was sitting behind her desk when they came in, grading papers. She looked up over her reading glasses, still looking stern.

"I am very disappointed with you, both." She made to stand up. "I do not assign detentions lightly, and this will reflect badly on the whole of Gryffindor House. You better see to it that you solve any disagreement between yourselves."

"Yes, Professor," the students mumbled in unison. McGonagall's face softened somewhat. "Very well. Follow me."

She took them down to the second floor and opened the door to the trophy room which seemed to hold anything _but_ actual trophys. Hermione looked at the mess, feeling dejected. Even McGonagall looked disapprovingly at the room.

"Ah, well. You are to sort this mess out, organize and lable everything. You will not use magic. There is no need to come wake me up when you're done, but I _will_ check up on it in the morning, understood?"

"Yes, Professor," they answered, once more in unison, and rather dully. McGonagall nodded. "Good luck then." And she left.

Hermione glanced at Sirius whose arrogant air had diminished somewhat at the sight of their task.

"I guess we should get started." She went inside and started tugging on old brooms and broken furnitures. Sirius looked grumpy but followed her example.

They managed to effectively clear out almost half of the rubbish on the shelves, with the effect that dust flew everywhere. Hermione succumbed to a coughing fit that had her bent double on the floor. She wheezed and hissed and Sirius rolled his eyes. He got out his wand and said "_Anapneo_," which to Hermione's relief resulted in her airways being cleared.

She hesitantly sat up, teary eyed, clearing her throat and looking at Sirius who had dropped down heavily on a three-legged chair.

"Thank you," she said. And then for good measures she continued: "And sorry about before. I didn't mean to yell at you." She fingered on the hem of her dusty school skirt. "I was just having a bad day." After some moments she added solemnly: "A bad life actually."

Sirius put his feet up on a cardboard box containing old books and linked his fingers behind his head, leaning back. He actually didn't mind the detention, it wasn't his first and it would probably not be his last either. And he had found that fighting with the wild haired girl had left him quite amused. There weren't many girls who kept up with his argumentation, but this one didn't seem to back down for anything.

But she _had_ apologized. Ah, well… "I'm sorry too. I never intended to get you stuck in detention." He looked at her, where she sat on the floor of the cluttered room. Hermione smiled faintly at him with dust in her hair.

"So how come you were outside last night?" he asked and didn't miss the way she stiffened. She avoided his gaze and muttered something about not being able to sleep, and got up from the floor.

She shot him a look over her shoulder. "We should continue."

Sirius Black was not the guy to be shut down, so he grinned and lithely got up on his feet again. "Nice try," he said, taking the stacks of papers she handed him and throwing them on the growing rubbish pile. "But how did you even know how to how to get out? You've been here for like two weeks. And that way you avoided the teacher – excellent!"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. So they had seen that too, huh… If he messed with her, why should she behave? "And how did you know about me hiding anywhere? I'm pretty sure no one else was there." She raised one of her eyebrows questioningly, and to her delight Sirius shifted, running his hands through his hair. She started to believe it was a nervous habit of his.

The invisibility cloak James had inherited from his father was supposed to be a secret, and Sirius would never brake the trust of their friendship, so he just looked at the witch, smiling tentatively. "You are not the only one with secrets, I guess."

And with that, there seemed to be a silent agreement between them, that at least at the moment, they'd leave their secrets be.

The rest of the evening went through smoothly and it was with glee they at last dumped all the trash outside for McGonagall to vanish in the morning. They didn't dare to try it themselves, as they weren't supposed to use magic.

The detention had went on until one in the morning before they got to walk tiredly together up to Gryffindor tower. Hermione couldn't believe she still was awake, after two previously almost sleepless nights. At least tomorrow was a Saturday, and she could sleep for as long as she wanted.

Sirius and Hermione entered the common room and experienced quite an awkward moment when they were to go separate ways up to their own dormitories. Hermione cleared her throat and said: "Well, I would say thank you for a lovely night, but it doesn't feel right." She was so tired she almost giggled again, and especially when she caught a look at Sirius' face. He too looked almost asleep and his person was more ruffled than she'd ever seen him, his shirt untucked and dusty and his hair was messy beyond anything she'd seen on him before.

"G'night Sirius," she yawned and got up to the bliss of her warm bed.

Sirius followed her example.

* * *

The weekend was – thankfully – uneventful. Hermione caught up on some of the sleep she'd lost from the nights before and spent her Saturday with Jenny and Lydia, who when she got to know them, turned out to be really nice and quite sensible. The blonde Jenny, who more often than not sported a thick braid hanging on her back, was a little more flighty than the dark haired Lydia, who had a rather laid back attitude and sometimes carried a streak of sarcasm in her voice. But they both were good hearted and expressed their condolences about her loss of family.

Hermione found out that there really were advantages with having girls as friends. She was now convicted that it was the way she'd bottled up all her feelings that had made her let out all that anger at once, and it had been _exhausting_! So when the girls carefully asked about her old life she decided to open up and tell them some of it. As she couldn't give away that she had practically grown up at Hogwarts, just like them, she let out the details. Hermione felt her voice thicken at places, but she still did mention her best friends Harry and Ron and that she had lost them, along with her family.

Both Lydia and Jenny had looked horrified at the thought of losing all of their families and friends at once.

"We can't have this!" Lydia stated and got up from the bed in their room where they had been sitting. "Come on, let's go!"

"Where to?" asked Hermione.

"Just outside, we can't sit in here thinking sad thoughts. You, my friend, need to laugh a little." She cocked her head with such conviction that Hermione couldn't help letting out a short laugh.

"'kay."

Jenny sniffled but seemed to approve of the idea, and so they went out on the Hogwarts grounds for some leisure time in the still warm September sun. They found a free spot underneith a three not far from the lake and Jenny took it upon her to get Hermione updated on the ongoings in the school, starting with a recollection of which ones had dated each other. After mentioning a couple of people, some of which Hermione had spotted snogging each other in the common room already, Jenny gave Lydia a sideways look.

"And let's se, you did miss last year's horrible breakup - -"

Lydia interrupted "'Enjoyable' you mean." She looked pleased and leaned back against the tree trunk.

Jenny gave an amused smile and continued: "Yes, some would say 'enjoyable' – breakup, between Lyddie here and Anthony Houghton. Their fight in the common room should go down in history as one of the worst, and probably funniest ever."

"Hm," Hermione had a searching look on her face. "He's the skinny one with dark hair, isn't he?"

Lydia frowned a little but nodded and bit down on one of the chocolate frogs they'd brought.

"So you dumped him?"

She snorted, mouth full of chocolate. "The bastard thought I wouldn't mind him sneaking around with some stupid Ravenclaw, hell yeah I dumped him."

Jenny laughed heartily. "They kept screaming at each other until McGonagall entered the common room, nostrils flaring and I swear smoke was coming out of her ears. And then Lyddie went and threw a couple of hexes at him, the idiot couldn't get the warts off his face for a month!"

"And _I_ got detention for a month." Lydia mused. "Totally worth it."

Hermione looked sceptically at the dark haired girl, who in turn seemed to remember yesterday's drama. "Talking of detentions, how did yours go last night?"

Hermione grimaced. She was still peeved about the whole thing. Who'd thought Hermione Granger would get in trouble for disturbing a class? "Ah, Black really got on my nerves, but the detention went well. We just had to clear out some junk from the trophy room." Then she asked, twirling a grass straw between her fingers: "Is he always so provocative?"

She actually did wonder. As she had done all in her power to avoid the Marauders for the first weeks, she hadn't had a chance to study their youthful selves. But she wasn't that surprised at Sirius' behaviour. The grown up Sirius had reeked of rebelliousness.

Jenny snorted. "Black is gorgeous to look at, but I'd watch out if I were you. He has the tendency to go from girl to girl without looking back. I think most people bore him, except for his mates."

"Yeah, and did you know he was supposed to be in Slytherin?" said Lydia. "The whole Black family have been snakes, apparently he almost got disowned when his mother found out the hat had put him in Gryffindor."

Of course, Hermione knew all this. She had spent enough time at Grimmauld Place to get the hang of just _how_ displeased Mrs Black had been about the fact that her oldest son had commited the treason of being a decent being. Poor Sirius. And she seemed to remember it being around this time he broke away from the family for good.

The girls spent most of the day outside under the tree, getting Hermione up to speed with the gossip. She hesitantly promised Lydia that she would be on the lookout for Remus' thoughts about her, discreetly of course, and it felt good to be given an assignment that had nothing to do with life-or-death situations.

At one time she looked up at the castle and spotted no other than Lucius Malfoy in the shadows of the stone arches of the courtyard. He was sitting regaly on a stone bench, his spotless robes without a wrinkle, a bored look on his pale face. Around him sat and stood a group of other Slytherins, seemingly discussing something. Hermione could make out a black haired boy among the crowd. She had come across Severus Snape in the advanced Potions class they shared, but thankfully she hadn't had to interact with him yet.

Dumbledore, who already in this time encouraged inter-house relations, had suggested that she'd try to get to know him, a thought that had left her nothing but horrified.

Severus Snape had turned out to be one of the most loyal members and valuable assets to the Order of the Phoenix. In his roll as a spy, he'd put his life at risk on countless occations and had suffered more than most as he played the dangerous part of Voldemort's most trusted Death Eater. Hermione knew that the Dark Lord himself had killed Snape and her heart hurt for the man even though he had been horribly unpleasant.

She found it hard to think of him as something else than the nasty, greasy haired Potions Professor, but at the same time she started to feel uneasy with the fact that he probably right around this time was entering the Death Eater-in-traning among the Slytherins.

_Bloody Slytherins and their stupid bloody Death Eaters._

Most of all, she wanted to wring Lucius Malfoy's neck off.

The girls started their way back to the tower in the late afternoon, as Hermione had promised Remus that they could look over some of their assignments together. The study session they had planned for the previous day had of course been cancelled due to her detention.

Meanwhile, Remus had seated himself amongst his fellow marauders in the common room, flipping through a book while he waited for Hermione. Sirius and Peter occupied two armchairs opposite him and they had put their heads together and were whispering intently. Remus watched the display with narrowed eyes. He knew the boys were excited about the first fullmoon of the year, as they hadn't been out running in their animagus forms yet this term.

But Remus dreaded it – the way he lost all control of himself, the horribly painful experience it meant, turning into such a dangerous and repulsive creature. He would do anything not to ever have to go through with it again. It meant the world to him that his mates knew his secret, accepted it even, and he had never been so touched as the day they'd decided to become animagus to keep him company under the full moon.

He let out a soft troubled sigh and shook his sandy hair out of his eyes. The others were dear to him, almost like family and so he knew they didn't mean anything hurtful by being excited over the adventure, but Remus could feel the bitterness welling over him – as it did every month.

It was during these musings that James came barging in through the portrait hole, almost falling over as he ran over to them, trowing himself onto the couch were Remus resided.

"Oaff-" Remus winced and pushed him, "Get off me you git!" He watched how James went tumbling down onto the floor. All that was heard was a faint: "Ouch."

Sirius and Peter roared with laughter at the sight of their friend all disheveled. "Mate, you lok like you've done something indecent." You okay?"

Sirius still laughed but offered his hand to James, who shot off a huge grin at all of his friends and with Sirius' help got up. He plopped down next to Remus, looking like a kid on christmas morning.

"Spill!" Remus commanded, still a little irritated, but getting more amused by the second since James had such a goofy look on his face.

Sirius leaned back in the armchair and put his feet on the table between them, keeping his gaze upon James' shining eyes. "Let me guess," he said. "Lily's back?"

James copied Sirius' pose in a flourishing way and confirmed this statement with a satisfied tone in his voice: "Lily's back!" He ran his fingers through his hair, making it even messier than before. "I can't believe she missed the start of the term, she even lost a shot at the Prefect position over that!"

Peter snorted. "Since when have you ever cared about prefects? No offense, Moony."

"None taken," Remus said, getting back to his book. He was indeed used to his adventurous friends not really seeing him as a school authority, though they did listen to him when he really took a stand for something.

"So where is your lady, James?" Sirius asked with a hint of mocking in his voice. "Does she even know she's your lady?" He raised his eyebrows. "I seem to recall that the last time you saw her, she treathened to sever your feet from the rest of your body if you didn't stopped following her?"

James didn't seem to worry about this rememberence. "McGonagall told me she's having a meeting with Dumbledore right now. Apparently that exchange program went really well." His hazel eyes darkened for a moment. "Bloody americans."

Sirius chuckled heartily, looking every bit like the aristocratic young man he was. His grey eyes had an intensely sharp gleam to them, and he was perfectly aware about the fact that several groups of girls in the room followed his every move, but chose to ignore it. "So you really think you'll have a chance to get her to go out with you this year?"

"Mate," James answered, oblivious to the stares he too received from the female Gryffindors. "This is my year!"

* * *

Hermione had left her friends down on the ground floor, as they were going to get some early dinner, and so she headed up through the castle. When she got into the large, circular tower room she immidiately spotted the four boys sitting by the fireplace.

Cursing silently, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and started to criss-cross between groups of students hanging out on their day off. On the way, she saw Peter noticing her and how he poked his elbow into Sirius' side. The black haired boy who had been listening to something James said raised his head and upon seeing who she was, blazed her an arrogantly winning smile.

_Oh really…_ Hermione thought, already starting to get irritated.

"Lookie lads, it's my partner in crime!" Sirius took in her stiff response at his greeting with satisfaction.

_She actually was kinda pretty all worked up like that_, he thought amusedly.

Hermione decided to ignore Sirius's goading and came to stand in front of Remus who had got up when he'd spotted her, collecting his books.

"You ready?" she asked, tucking a strand of rogue hair back behind her ear and looking at him. When he nodded she continued, "I just need to get my things, see you in a bit?"

Remus, who was positively surprised, as he almost didn't think she would come at all said: "Sure, I'll clear a table for us over by the windows, okay?" He gave her a comforting smile and Hermione couldn't help but feel right at home, and she actually longed for a chance to get lost in her books for a bit. She turned around without acknowledging the others and ran upstairs.

When the marauders were alone once more, James turned to the werewolf with a suggesting look on his face. "Soo.." He cleared his throat. "Anything going on there?"

Remus shook his head, "Nope, just studying." He discreetely glanced at Sirius, searchingly, but as the latter had gone back to whispering to Peter, the prefect went ahead and set up their work area next to the windows overlooking the grounds.

When the four boys had become one less, James followed their werewolf friend with his gaze. He then turned to Sirius and Peter, asking in a low voice and grinning, "So how was that detention last night, Padfoot?"

Sirius, who once more displayed a handsomely bored expression on his features, shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, well, it was remarkably funny to make her explode like that. But other than that... You know I don't go for the bookish types." However, he looked up when he saw the new girl in the corner of his eye, as she re-entered the room and sat down next to Remus.

James didn't miss this. "Maybe you should though?"

"Should what?" Sirius tore his gaze away and threw James a questioning look.

"Change type, mate. You don't really seem to like the chatty ones you usually go for." He was revarded with a dirty look from Sirius for this comment but kept on: "Aw, come on! When was the last time you actually dated someone longer than a week?"

Sirius barked a laugh. "Are you giving me advice on my love life, James Potter?" He looked slightly aggravated. "Come back when you've managed to get Evans to voluntarily spend more than one minute in your company." He stood up and went to leave through the portrait hole, but turned around, shouting: "And class time doesn't count!" and then he were gone.

James stared incredously after his best mate and then turned to Peter who had followed the exchange of words with interest. "Think I hit a sore spot there, mate?"

Peter, looking surprised too by the way things had gone, nodded. "Right on, I'd say."

And then they spent the rest of the night planning the upcoming late night run they so looked forward too.

* * *

Hermione and Remus found that they worked really well together and by the time the clock had struck seven they had planned and started several of the upcoming projects for their advanced classes.

"I think I'm gonna give up," Remus declaired when his stomach growled loudly for the second time in a few minutes. "Wanna come down and get some dinner before they take it away?"

Hermione shook her head and kept scribbling down her parchment. "No, thanks. Lydia stuffed me with chocolate frogs after lunch, I don't think I could eat anything more right now." She went through her notes, and proceeded to look for something in one of the many books on the table. She furrowed her brow. "I think I could use a trip to the library though, if we're done here?"

Remus streched his arms over his head. "Absolutely."

So they went their separate ways. Remus went back over to where Peter and James still sat, although by now they were keeping a heated discussion about the best way to organize the first prank of the year against the Slytherins.

Hermione grabbed her stuff and headed out for the library. She was pretty pleased with the day so far. It seemed that it wasn't so easy to get the bookish character out of the girl.

The corridors were empty, as everyone seemed to be either having a late dinner, or hanging out in their separate common rooms. But as she got down to the fourth floor and were well on her way, rounding a corner, she came upon three unknown students tormenting what looked like a first or second year. The three boys had apparently roughed the kid up enough to make his nose bleed, and the youngster's face was white with fear. Hermione had her wand out before she even thought about it, and with a clear voice declared: "Stop that right now!"

The older students – she couldn't pinpoint their year – turned around, glaring at her daring choice to interfere. Two of them looked amused though, by the sight of the petite witch taking a stand.

_Slytherins, of course_, she thought, gritting her teeth as she took notice of the small green and silver crest, glittering on one of their robes. _Great_.

The small boy chose this moment to run off, leaving her alone with the three Slytherins. _I really have no reason to be scared_, she thought, trying to convince herself that these schoolboys were no match for someone who'd battled Death Eaters.

She lifted her cheek and glared at them, never wavering her wand arm.

"You should be ashamed," she said sharply, and was met by guffaws and sneerings. The air was full of hostility and she didn't fail to notice that they all had managed to get their wands into their hands, although not pointing at her. She still had the advantage.

As they stood staring at each other, she heard footsteps coming up behind her, but didn't dare turn around. She was just hoping it would be a teacher.

"Well, this looks interesting…"

Hermione's heart almost stopped and she just wanted to crawl into a corner. The drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy carried through the corridor, like ice on her neck.

_Not a teacher then_.

Lucius passed her by, coming to stand beside his house mates. He had his hands in the pockets of his dark grey slacks, looking for the world like he couldn't care less what was happening.

"Lemaire?" He was adressing the boy in the middle. "Care to tell me what is going on?"

With the arrival of the Slytherin Head Boy, the three had taken the opportunity to raise their own wands, and now had them pointing at her, looking pleased with how the situation had proceeded.

Lemaire spoke: "This chit seems to think she could mess with us, Malfoy. I was thinking we should teach her a lesson."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. She kept a firm grip on her wand, not wanting to make the first move. Four against one was troubling odds.

Lucius raised his eyebrows. His platinum hair seemed to shine in the dimly lit corridor. "Ah, I see. And did you think of how the Headmaster would react to the fact that his niece had been 'taught a lesson' by you morons?" His voice practically dripped acid.

"Bloody hell, this is her?" one of the other cursed silently.

Lucius looked at them and ordered sharply, "Indeed. Get back to the dungeons, I'll handle this."

Before slinking off, the one named Lamaire threw Hermione a malicious glance. "This isn't over," he said. And then they were gone.

Hermione was still shaken and didn't dare lowering her wand in Lucius Malfoy's presence, and faith had it that Sirius Black chose this moment to come striding into the same corridor. When he saw Hermione standing up against the Head Boy, he reacted instantly and had his wand out before any of them even had seen him standing there.

"Malfoy!" he growled, his eyes dark and stormy. The row he'd had with James had put him in a severly bad mood, so it was almost with pleasure he thought about hurting the Slytherin.

Lucius turned his head on the newcomer and upon seeing who it was, hissed: "Black…"

Hermione felt the situation getting out of hand. She knew for a fact that Sirius was impulsive and reckless and thus felt the need to put it to a stop as soon as possible. It didn't seem like Lucius had been trying to get to her anyway.

She shot a glance at the seething Gryffindor. "It's okay Sirius, we just tried to wrap something up." She lowered her arm, still looking at Lucius, and then turned around, walking the few steps to where Sirius was standing. "He actually helped me."

She put her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. Sirius' black hair had fallen into his eyes, and it looked like he would like to do nothing more than curse the blond, who no longer looked bored but instead had a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

Sirius looked at Hermione who by now were standing really close to him and then up at the Slytherin again. "It seems to be your lucky day, Malfoy, had the lady told another story, you'd be dead by now."

Lucius snorted, but didn't retort.

Hermione took Sirius by his arm and managed to drag him away from the site. She was shaken by the encounter and just wanted to get away to someplace quiet, preferrably free from bullies. A few stairs up she found a window ledge to sink down on, rested her elbows on her knees and put her head in her hands.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked sitting down next to her. He seemed concerned and irritated at once. "What was that about? Haven't anyone told you to look out for Slytherins. They're nothing but scum."

Hermione gave a short humourless laugh into her hands and then looked up. "Believe me, I know."

She found it somewhat disturbing that she once again was so close to one of the people she'd used so much energy to avoid. But she was glad he'd gotten there when he did and it felt comforting being in his presence. The young Sirius was indeed obnoxious and maddeningly arrogant, but she had to admit there was something extra behind those concrete grey eyes.

Sirius on his end, found that he was getting more and more interested in the witch. He had noticed her eyes glow when she had her wand upon that twit Malfoy, looking everything but dull. Her hair had almost sparked with the suspence hovering in the air around her.

Dragging his fingers through his hair, he swore under his breath. He'd probably have to apologize to James. _Crap_.

Hermione took one deep breath and stood up on her feet. She looked up at Sirius, who also had gotten up from the ledge, tilting her head backwards. That was something she'd never noticed before, that this close up he almost towered over her.

Clearing her throat she said, with sincere feeling: "Thank you for that Sirius." She fired off a bright smile and ran off, leaving the young Gryffindor feeling mighty confused.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 5**

The Gryffindor common room was unusually loud that night. The return of the apparently extremely beloved Lily Evans had the sixth years throwing a party to celebrate the happy event. Hermione found herself sitting alone on the outer fringe of the hubbub, entirely content, with the purpose to catch a break.

When Lily had found out there were a new transfer student in her year, Harry Potter's would be mother had rushed up to Hermione at first chance, determinedly saying hello with such gusto that Hermione found herself rather swept along with the girl's entusiasm. She couldn't deny that the redheaded girl was both likeable and seemed sincere enough to pass for the mythic rememberence the memory of her had spawned. She even felt that meeting Lily Evans wasn't as hard as beeing in the vicinity of the Marauders had been at first, and this might mean that she started to get used to the fact that she was indeed stuck in the past.

These musings occupied Hermione's thoughts while she distractedly was flipping through her Arithmancy book, sipping a Butterbeer. The level of noice had started to annoy her, and the last time she had looked up, James Potter had apparenty managed to annoy Lily so much that she'd thrown some sort of hex on him. The boy was now sporting purple locks, and was wailing loud complaints about how his good looks were 'lost forever' while Remus stood by his side looking mostly amused. Hermione didn't think the prefect would have any problem to put things right again on James' part, and she almost sniggered a little while watching the melodramatic display in the corner of her eye.

"Pathetic, isn't it?" a voice commented behind the arm chair she resided in. "If he'd had a tail, it'd be wagging like crazy. Being near Evans always does that to him."

Hermione looked up. Sirius Black was lounging nonchalantly against the nearest wall, his hands in the pockets of his dark blue jeans. His dark hair fell in his eyes, and Hermione felt almost hypnotized by the intense look in them as the marauder sat down with such elegant composure that clatched rather a lot with his inherent sort of lazy rebellness. But somehow it worked for him and him only.

"Well, he seems quite taken with her, yes." Hermione watched him seating himself, feeling apprehensive.

Sirius looked over at his friends, as James finally managed to get his usual hair colour back and then followed it up with an impromptu speech declaring Remus Lupin the saviour of mankind. The Gryffindors cheered and Sirius snorted at this and turned to Hermione with a thoughtful look. "There's something about you, you know," he said at last.

Hermione stiffened. "How come?" she asked, trying to sound disinterested.

Sirius smiled a crooked smile and Hermione's breath seemed to get caught in her throat. She tried to hide her discomfort by taking a swig of her Butterbeer and ignored his searching eyes.

"How did you know about that secret passage the other night?"

The question had Hermione breaking out in a cold sweat at her lower back and she supressed a shiver. But then she adapted an impassive look on her face and gave him an indifferent glance. "I'm just observant, that's all."

Sirius stared at her for a moment, then broke out in a huge grin. "Excellent! We need more people like you around here."

He stood up suddenly, and thus was becoming the center of attention for several people. He shouted over the room: "James! We need more food. Would Your Highness care to escort such a lowly servant as myself to the kitchens?"

James' face lit up with the prospect of sneaking out, as the occurrence with Lily hade left him somewhat gloomy. Sirius winked at Hermione and followed his best friend through the portrait hole.

* * *

The next day would turn out to test Hermione Granger's patience when it came to many things.

At breakfast she received owl post for the first time since she found herself to be in 1976 instead of the 90's. The owl had landed on top of her pile of toast and dropped a small parcel without any note or hint of who the sender could be. When she opened the package, she found herself staring at what turned out to be a small model of a lion, choked to death by a snake. The message could not be clearer and Hermione's head shot up, just to see the boy named Lamaire watching her intently from the Slytherin table on the other side of the Great Hall. He smirked and turned away to whisper something the boys that had helped tormenting the small boy the day before.

Hermione furrowed her brow and thrust the offending 'gift' into her book bag before she hurriedly got out to the courtyard, desperate for some air. She needed to think about this. It wasn't that she was scared by the threat, or the one behind it either, but the last thing she needed right now was an enemy.

_Bloody git!_

Hermione paced the length of the courtyard, her bushy hair flowing all around her. She thought about going to Dumbledore with the whole thing, but at the same time she didn't want to make a scene. Drawing attention to her was the last thing she wanted.

After letting out a deep sigh, she resolutely set her yaw and got back inside for the day's Defence Against the Dark Arts morning lesson. The advanced DADA class had the sixth year students all day on Mondays, with theory in the morning and a practical session in the afternoon. The class itself was really popular, and many students seemed to consider it one of the most important ones. Hermione couldn't agree more.

The DADA teacher, Professor Alderan, greeted the students with a pleasant smile when they entered the classroom. He was a man in his early fifties, with pepper grey hair that was residing slightly. Hermione hadn't seen any signs of the man being mental – yet – but she felt cynical enough to admit to herself that she was indeed on the lookout.

Since so many students had applied for the advanced class after their O.W.L.s, this particular one was thankfully shared with only the Ravenclaws. Hermione thought she wouldn't be able to bear being near the Slytherins right now. She sat down in the middle row next to Lydia and Jenny, who both took this class, and watched as Alderan flipped through his notes waiting for them to enter the room.

When everyone was seated he looked up at them from where he was sitting at his desk, eyes twinkling.

"I thought we should have some fun today!" With a flick of his wand, the day's timetable appeared on the blackboard. Hermione groaned inwardly when she read it. Many others gasped with delight, and she was sure she could hear Sirius and Remus whisper exitedly to each other some rows away.

"Yes, indeed!" Aldereen got up on his feet, looking ecstatic. "I definitely think it's time for you to try out some more serious defense maneuvers. By now you should be able to handle your own in a real fight, even if it's a mock one like we'll do here in class." He put his hands together, still beaming. "This is how we shall do it; you can use the morning lesson to prepare some moves. Just remember – keep it simple and stick to the spells you know. After lunch I will pair you up, let winner fight winner and we'll keep at it until the last one is standing!"

Hermione felt shivers going down her back at his words. Blood was pumping in her ears.

The class was in a state of joyful uproar, but Hermione felt so bothered by the mock fighting that she, before knowing what she'd done, had raised her hand.

Alderan shushed the class and the noise died down. "Yes, miss Granger?" he said in a pleasant voice.

Hermione almost regretted her noticable act in front of the class, but decided to stick to it. She had no desire to engage in duelling in front of strangers, especially not the first time since she got out of that last and lost battle by the ruins of Hogwarts. To her horror she felt her voice shake a little, but she kept her back straight and looked directly into the teacher's eyes.

"Professor, I was wondering, could it be possible to perhaps write an essay on the subject, I mean.." She hesitated. "Instead of the actual duelling, I mean."

She, Hermione Granger almost stuttered, that huge was her discomfort on the subject. But she knew her request would be lost before she'd gotten it all out, as Alderan sported a 'there is always one in every class'-smile.

"Now, now my dear girl, there is nothing to be afraid of!"

_Not for you, you foolish man_, Hermione thought bitterly as she experienced him trying to consort her – or what he apparently believed was an afraid little girl.

_I've probably clocked more fighting time than the rest of the castle combined_.

She resolutedly nodded her head at his comforting words, ignoring the giggles and muffled whispers throughout the classroom.

"More questions?" No one answered. "Good! Let's get to work, find those daring spells and hexes and we'll meet back here after lunch!"

* * *

Lydia looked concerned as the three of them trooped off after the others in the direction of the library. "You know, just do what Alderan said, stick to the easy ones; like Jelly Legs, or the Babbling Curse," she suggested.

Hermione was quiet. It went against everything that had been the old Hermione Granger, to pretend to be bad at something. She should have known it would come to duelling at some point, especially since the seventh year practical NEWTs would consist entirely of defense against a supposed 'foe' examinator. She just hadn't come to think so far ahead yet, too occupied with surviving her first weeks among the new students. She let out her breath and ran her fingers through her hair, distractedly thinking about braiding it for the afternoon. It wouldn't do to have the curls in the way.

"No matter, I'll be fine. Just not too fond of fighting."

They all found a table together and set out to plan their afternoon, not really able to tune out all the excited whispers around them. Hermione found herself longing for Madam Pince, the strict librarian from her own time. She would never have allowed anyone making a noise like this in the library.

Lunchtime came and went and before they knew it they were back in the DADA classroom. The air was thick with animated eagerness and the teacher looked very pleased when they were to begin.

"So! Everyone ready to start our little tournament?" Alderan asked happily, and with a flourishing movement of his wand, the parings appeared on the board. "I'll just clear this space, go find your partner so we can start!"

Another flick and the chairs and desks moved aside, leaving the floor open. Hermione didn't know who the Ravenclaw whose name was next her's was, but it didn't take long for an haughty looking boy to tap her shoulder.

"Oh, so you are Michael? I'm Hermione." She held out her hand, and was utterly perplexed when he just looked at it, and then proceeded to look away. She raised one of her eyebrows in surprise and took her hand back.

Michael turned her way again and said, in a degrading tone. "Listen up, this is the first time they have allowed duelling in class, so don't screw this up just 'cause you're afraid of some hexes."

Hermione's eyes widened. She felt her temper rising because of his little speech and bit back a scathing retort, just before Alderan clapped his hands together.

_Who did this brat think he was? _

"Pair up! On the count of three you'll bow to your opponent and then proceed to render him or her harmless."

Hermione glared at the Ravenclaw, who now had a satisfied look on his person.

_Really, s_he thought, as she bowed slightly, never breaking eye contact.

She had a firm grip on her wand and a calculating look in her eyes. She could read Michael like a book, his presumptuous ways was no match for her. As she had expected, the boy started out with unnecessary aggressiveness, shouting: "_Rictusempra!_" which Hermione countered with an almost lazy "_Protego_!" Her shield charm easily deflected the tickling charm, sending it away from them. She then retorded with a mild stinging hex, making the Ravenclaw yelp and drop his wand, wherupon she called out: _"Accio wand!"_, and watched it fly through the air and into her left hand. After having caught it, she twirled it between her fingers, looking pleased at the dumbstruck look on Michael's face. She shot him a blazing smile.

When Hermione looked around the room, she found that both Sirius, James and Remus stood as winners already, along with some Ravenclaws, while many other duells still was under way. Alderan was walking around them, seemingly pleased with how his little competition was fearing. When he got to their pair at the end he took one look at the couple and then nodded, though rather surprised.

"Good work, Miss Granger, I have to admit, I didn't think you'd manage it after the way you tried to get out of it this morning."

Hermione felt her pride blooming through the recently adopted attitude towards incognito classroom time.

"Never said I couldn't, sir, just that I didn't want to."

She handed Michael's wand back to him, and noticed several people watching her, presumably trying to size her up for the next round.

This time Hermione found herself paired with a Gryffindor she knew to be called Michelle Hastings, a cute tall, blonde girl. They smiled politely to each other before taking a stand. Hermione had noticed Remus and James paired up some couples away, and was really curious about who would come out the victor of them two. But as Michelle didn't seem to make use of the same sloppy work as Michael, she soon tore her eyes away and concentrated on her own duel.

It was over in a heartbeat. Hermione succesfully managed to hit the blonde with a sharp "_Incarcerous!"_ as her first spell, and thus bind her with thick ropes, rendering her completely helpless. She was the fastest winner of that round, and so got to watch the others for a while. Sirius was lazily demanding attention in a corner of the room, taunting his Ravenclaw opponent who was starting to look desperate. The black haired Gryffindor at last set in the deathblow with a series of pretty amusing tripping jinxes.

The boy at last fell down, dropping his wand and shouting: "I give, you win!" Sirius looked pleased, and for a moment he looked up, finding Hermione watching him. His grey eyes burned her insides and she blushed sligthly, hurriedly looking away.

James and Remus seemed to be pretty well matched, both boys danced around, laughing and throwing each other mocking taunts. Hermione and the rest of the class had started to watch the two friends battle, quite amused. At last, Remus managed to get in a "_Petrificus Totalus!"_, which had James stiff as a board and falling backwards. Everyone cheered, and even Hermione clapped her hands politely. She was rather impressed by the boys, their mischiefs indeed seemed to have done them something good.

When the afternoon class started to draw to an end, Hermione was exhausted and – to her utter chagrin – a little bit bored. The battles so far had all been a piece of cake, and no one had used anything more powerful than the standard curriculum of spells. For the moment being, she had occupied a chair by the door and rested her head in her arms on the desk in front of it, waiting for everyone to be done. The last ongoing match stood between Sirius Black and a to her nameless Ravenclaw boy. As her class mates started to applaud, she looked up to see Sirius fuming on the floor, his wand in the hands of the other boy. Hermione gave him a consoling smile from where she sat, and he turned his frown into a wink, standing up and bowing to her.

"Mylady. I do believe it's your turn. Please avenge me."

Hermione actually laughed at this. Her eyes sparkled with humour and she stood up and curtsied. "I will protect your honour, dear sir."

Sirius guffawed and many others looked amused, although some of the girls didn't seem to like their friendly bantering too much. Sirius had watched Hermione during her duells, and was silently impressed by the easy approach she'd thrown into it all. It was no doubt that the girl was talented. Even James and Remus had, when Remus got beaten at last, sat down to watch the newest addition to their House.

Professor Alderan so asked for everyones attention, still sporting the entusiastic look of a kid in a candy shop. "This has been a marvellous afternoon! Last duell of the day now. I must say I've been mightily impressed with many of you!" He put his hands together.

"Miss Granger and Mister Rubens – the floor is yours'!"

Hermione observed her last opponent at the other end of the room. She still didn't want to draw too much attention to herself, but as she had found out – her pride was all too big to get defeted on purpose. She watched the Ravenclaw boy watching her.

They bowed to each other

With a flourishing flick of his wand, the boy hastily shouted: "_Reducto!"_, and threw a strong version of the dangerous blasting curse at her. Hermione's eyes widened. She hadn't been prepared for such an increase in force. She silently cursed her stupidity, but at the same time wondered what was his deal.

She expertedly made use of "_Protego!"_ again, and managed to produce a shield strong enough to knock the vicious curse away with such force that a loud 'bang!' rang through the room. The stone wall crumbled where the stray curse had it it. There were gasps and upset whispers among the other students, as the _Reducto_ curse indeed was dangerous. Alderan cleared his throat, starting to say something but was interrupted by Hermione's retort.

Hermione felt livid and glared at the Ravenclaw who also seemed quite fiery. This was just why she didn't want to duell, there was always someone who'd take it too far. She fired off an loud _"Stupefy!"_ directly at the boy, who on his part jumped aside rather easily, and then retorted with a stunning spell of his own, which Hermione once more repelled with a shield spell. Then she decided to try to end it all before it got any worse and shouted _"Expelliarmus!"._ She had mixed feelings about using the spell, as it on one hand effectively managed to disarm the taunting Ravenclaw boy, but on the other hand reminded her painfully about Harry and how he had prompted that they all learned it properly in their secret DA meetings.

Pointing her wand directly into the face of her opponent, Hermione tilted her head and quietly asked: "Give?"

The boy nodded sullenly and went to collect his fallen wand from where it had rolled away. The Gryffindor's cheered and Hermione could see both her room mates and the Marauders trying to get to her. But Hermione grabbed her things without looking at anyone and got out of the classroom before anyone else.

* * *

Hermione went straight ahead to the Headmaster's office after the class, more in a bad mood than ever. First the threats at breakfast and then the duelling… She once again thought of Harry and how she had reprimanded him so many times for not being able to keep his temper.

_Stupid!_

She passed the gargoyle after giving it the password and proceeded up the moving staircase, not the least surprised by how the door opened before she could knock on it. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, smiling friendly.

"Hermione," he said and waved his wand, conjuring up two cups of steaming tea. He gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "To what do I own the pleasure?"

Hermione hesitated, but decided that it probably would be best if she didn't withheld anything. After sipping on the warm tea, she went ahead and told her mentor of how she seemed to draw herself closer to the people she wanted to avoid, about the trouble she had found herself in with the Slytherins, and how she had reacted during the DADA class. Dumbledore just listened and nodded at places.

When she stopped he sat looking at her, his half moon spectacles in place on his crooked nose as always, and the silvery hair catching rays of the afternoon sun.

"I think you're doing rather good. I do enjoy hearing that you've started to get to know your school mates." He smiled. "We shall of course keep an eye on misters Malfoy and Lamaire-"

"Sir," Hermione interrupted him. "It wasn't my meaning to try to tell on them, I just.. I just think that it would be bad if anything happens to me, before we can get to work." She blushed, not entirely comfortable with assigning herself such value.

"Ah," Dumbledore said, seemingly thinking about this. It troubled him to see her take on such a cynichal approach to life, but on the same time she was right. They needed her.

"I'm glad you came to see me today, Hermione," he started. "As I have taken the first steps in creating the defense organization you know as _The Order of the Pheonix_, and I was hoping you could join us for the first meeting."

Hermione sat up straight. "Me, sir? I'd love to!"

She then looked down at the cup in her hands.

"But, wouldn't that seem strange? I mean, to let a sixteen year old in right at the beginning? We did join in my own time, but that was when many others had… had started to disappear from us."

She swallowed and watched the old man at the other side of his desk.

"My dear girl, with the background I have provided you, no one will think it strange that you as my distant relative – with your family gone – will get the chance to fight. Especially since you'll soon be of age anyway."

Hermione felt her heartbeat in her chest. _Time for action at last!_

* * *

That evening, Hermione, not wanting to be disturbed, hid inside her four-poster bed with the curtains drawn and locked in place, silencing spells all over the place.

When she'd finally exited Dumbledore's office and made her way up to Gryffindor tower, her head was full of grim thoughts, and she now felt that defacto planning needed to be done. The common room was moderately calm, she found her room mates waving at her from one side but she gave them an apologetic smile and hurried up to their shared room. In the corner of her eye, she saw the Marauders huddled up, suspiciosly quiet like, and Hermione guessed that the moon would be at its fullest in a night or two.

Well inside her private area, she took out what had become her most prized possession – in a sort of frenzied panicky way – the journal where she tried to collect all the information needed for the taking down of the Dark Lord. Turning to a new page, she wrote down what she thought was the most pressing matters to see to, right at this moment. She'd always liked making lists whenever she felt overwhelmed about things, and this was indeed such a moment.

'_The horcruxes'_

The meeting that Dumbledore had set up later that week, with people willing to ally themself to him, was a good start, but she still wondered how much to tell people of what she knew. The Dumbledore she'd known in the nineties had kept all the information to himself and none good it had made them.

Hermione played with the feather on her quill against her cheek and thought hard. She didn't know in this time exactly how many was already in existance, but at least there were only six of them to tend to, at worst. The one residing in Harry's scar wouldn't come in place until several years into the future, and Hermione would see to it that it didn't happen at all, if it so was the last thing she did.

There was a painful twinge in her stomach, and for a moment her hand paused and she closed her suddingly stinging eyes.

_Harry… Ron_…

A couple of seconds later, the girl let out the breath she hadn't noticed she'd held, and sighed deeply. It was perhaps a little easier this time, but she wondered if the pain would ever go away.

'_The Wolfbane Potion'_

Dear, dear Remus… Dumbledore had been possibly beaming with delight when she described the potion that would help the young werewolf to keep its mind during the dreaded full moon. She explained that it was a quite complex brew, and that the concoction would have to be drunk once a day during the whole week leading up to the full moon. Hermione had decided to set upon the task to complete the potion as soon as possible, so that nothing would come in the way to ease her friend's pain.

Starting the project tomorrow, she decided.

Well, on to the list then.

'_Peter Pettigrew' _

The brief moments of contact she'd had with the pudgy boy had left her with a feeling of uneasiness. Peter was definately the odd one out in the privileged group he was included in, but if she had to be honest, she would never have pinned him as a follower of the darkest wizard known to men. She furrowed her brow in contemplation of this. Maybe something had happened to him, to make him turn on his friends in the most horrible of ways?

Once again she sighed. Dumbledore had asked her to give everyone the benefit of a doubt, and maybe this was the ultimate sacrifice. She'd try to figure out what exactly was Peter's deal, and perhaps be able to keep him on their side. _How the bloody hell will I do that? _And with that she added the next two names that had to be delt with.

'_Severus Snape'_

'_Aaron Lemaire'_

Oh, those Slytherins. The first one hit a little too close to home, and a feeling of regret crept over her. The little she'd seen of the teenage Severus Snape was in no way as unpleasant as his older batlike self, but – to repeat herself – how the bloody hell would she be able to do something about him? Merlin knows he'd shown more loyalty to Dumbledore than many others, and she knew he'd come to give his life to their cause. But fraternizing with Slytherins? If what she had seen of the lot was any giveaway, the boy was already in the midst of Death Eaters-to-be.

This whole thing was giving her a headache.

And Lemaire… She snorted. Well, he wouldn't know what hit him if he ever tried anything with her, that's for sure.

* * *

The following day started as many others. Hermione was among the first ones seated at the Gryffindor breakfast table, coffe in hand and her Potions book open in front of her. She was deeply amused when four deathly tired-looking boys came sauntering in to the Great Hall and plopped down some seats away, whining loudly about no-one never having been so exhausted as they were.

Hermione deduced from this, that the Marauders indeed had been out running all night, and she tried stifling a smug smile that didn't held as much compassion that the subjects in question would have liked, had they known she knew. But when she caught a glimpse of Remus, who had a tired look on his face, of defeted agony, her smile turned into a grimace. There were faint scratches on his face and hands and he looked like he wanted the earth to open up and bury him right there and then.

The bond shared by Hermione and Remus in the future was second only to the one she'd experienced with Harry and Ron, and her heart ached, seeing him like this. The Wolfsbane potion would be priority number one on her list.

A few seats away, the sandy haired werewolf looked up just in time to see the new girl watching him intently. Even in this time of the month, when his cruel destiny weighed him down at its most, he felt thankful for his friends who willingly and enthusiasticly wanted to share his curse. Perhaps a little _too_ ethusiasticly some times. James and Sirius never seemed to grasp the danger they were in, even in their animagus forms, every time they went running with him. Peter had always been a little afraid, but Gryffindor as he was, never backed down. Anyway, in his raging werewolf form, there was hardly any chance the beast would charge on a small rat when bigger creatures were near.

But this girl… Something about her was a little odd. Remus blinked. She had this mournful look in her eyes, almost as she knew everything about him. He shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes. Merlin, this life was getting to him.

The Great Hall had started to fill up with students, and both Lydia and Jenny had joined Hermione when she waved them over. Hermione was feeling a little guilty over blowing them off so thoroughly yesterday, and she thought it best to show some friendly spirit. The girls smiled at her and started to collect assorted breakfast foods on their plates.

"You can't live on just caffeine, missy!" Lydia declared and gave her full plate to a coughing Hermione who had managed to swallow her coffee wrong.

"I know you didn't have any dinner yesterday, so don't even try to say no," she said in such a Mrs Weasly-ish way that Hermione's eyes widened.

'_Missy' again, huh, _she thought while trying to get some air, remembering the use of the word coming from a certain Remus Lupin when he tried to bully her into studying with him. Maybe there really was something to try, to fix those two up.

Clearing her throat, she defetedly accepted the eggs and bacon. "Thanks," she said with a small smile.

Jenny lowered her voice. "Hey, are you okay? You looked a little pale after the duelling yesterday."

"And you hid by yourself all evening," piped up Lydia with a hint of accusing in her voice. "I even tried to talk to you, but your curtains wouldn't budge!"

Hermione finished chewing her mouthful and took a sip of coffee before looking at them, answering: "I'm sorry you guys, thanks for the sympathy. I just really don't like to fight people, and it got to me."

At this moment, the owls swept in through the high windows, delivering mail and morning papers. Hermione kept an eye out for any more threats from the meddling Slytherin, but nothing came her way and she relaxed and got into the friendly bantering she'd come to enjoy with the girls around her. Therefore she didn't noticed anything wrong, until a sense of unease started to creep up her spine. She whipped her head up, trying to locate the origin of this feeling, but nothing struck her as out of place. Maybe the hall had gone a little quieter during the last minute, maybe there was a little more whisperings here and there…

At the other side of the table, Remus Lupin, with his senses all hightened due to the full moon, could smell an escalating feeling of fear silently exploding throughout the hall. He looked around, and his gaze once more fell upon the new girl that fascinated him so. She looked extremely uneasy and he could swear that she'd gripped her wand under the table. Apparently, she too could feel something was going on. _How odd._

Hermione's heart started beating harder in her chest.

_Something was wrong!_

When she turned her head, she could see the teachers around the staff table huddle together, frantically whispering to each other. She saw Dumbledore get up hurridly and leave the hall by the door in the back, leading to the inner room she had paced just before her sorting. He would probably use the floo in there to get to his office.

By now, the noise had erupted through the hall, and the ones who had recieved The Daily Prophet let it be known to everyone else that there had been several coordinated Death Eater attacks during the night, taking out many people. It had mostly been muggle borns and witches and wizards that associated with the likes. At every attacked place, one person had been spared, left to leave the message to the wizarding Britain: _"Join He-who-must-not-be-named, or perish." _The long list of names of the deceased left many student crying out in shock when they recognized relatives or family friends.

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and Hermione stood and hastily fled the room, intent on nothing else than getting to Dumbledore and finding out more about what had happened. She felt like guilt filled her whole being until it was like she would burst.

S_houldn't she had known about this?_

Sirius and James had managed to grab a passing paper and scanned the list of names, finding that none of the names belonged to anyone they knew. Remus let out a breath, and sat quiet among the others' outraged raving, feeling horrified by the events. He saw Hermione leave through the big doors and impulsively made to follow her out.

The silence of the landing before the swivelling staircase contrasted deeply with the ruckus they'd just left. He saw her running up the stairs and called out: "Hermione!" When she turned around, he could practically feel the panic radiating from her, her face pale and her eyes wide.

Hermione heard her named being called by a concerned voice and felt all of her walls crumble, all the gusto she'd managed to muster during the last week just fell off her, left her standing and swaying slightly. Remus furrowed his brow and hurried up to her, gently putting his arm around her shoulder and made her sit down on the stone step beside him.

"Oh, Remus," she choked out, eyes welling over with tears when she looked upon his worried face. Not being able to say anything more, she buried her head in his chest and cried her heart out, for all that she had lost and for all that was resting heavily on her shoulders.

"Shh…" Remus whispered, stroking her hair and murmuring nonsense words, while Hermione slowly gathered herself up again and calmed down. She hiccuped a little and managed to sit up straight, watching with ambivalent feelings, her old friend in this new form.

"I didn't mean to…" She gesticulated akwardly between them and grimaced slightly.

The werewolf gave a small shake of his head and retracted his arm from around her shoulders, but remained seated beside her and asked: "Was anyone you knew hurt?"

Hermione gave out a small cold laugh and continued to dry her eyes on the sleeves of her robes. She seemed to hesitate and watched him in the corner of her eyes, but then she sighed.

"I've… lost a lot of people lately. But no, none today. It's just… I'm just going through some rather difficult times, and this event that just happened sort of put me over the top."

She paused before continuing, her voice scratchy and raw.

"You and your friends are especially hard to be around sometimes. You remind me a little too much of some people I used to know."

"Will you tell me about them?" he asked quietly.

Hermione froze up, and teary eyed she contemplated the situation she had landed herself in. Tired and guilty and afraid, and feeling _so utterly lonely_, she gave in, if only a little.

"You," she started slowly, "reminds me very much of this man I once thought of as my older brother. You are so alike in so many ways, although life itself had been coming down on him hard."

The boy next to her shifted. Being what he was, he could almost always detect signs of dishonesty in others. There was always tells; the way they perspirated, or the way their pupils dilated. While he didn't think she'd outright lied to him before, he had been sure that quite a lot was withheld when it came to this girl. But he was now certain that she was telling him the truth, or at least part of it, for the time being.

Remus sat quiet, not knowing what to say. He could have sworn she ended with _'I don't want you to end up like him'_, but her murmured words were drowned by a shout.

"Moony!"

They both looked up at the sound. Hermione hastily finished wiping her eyes when James and Sirius came into view. The stopped upon the sight of their mate sitting next to the very puffy eyed girl.

"Are you okay?" James asked the pair, and Sirius gave his werewolf friend a long glare.

Hermione looked intently at the newly arrived marauders, and Remus couldn't help to notice the twinkle of longing in her gaze. She nodded and got up.

"I need to find Dumbledore." She gave Remus a quick hug, whispering 'thanks' in his ear and disappeared up the stairs.

James gaped. "What happened here?"

Remus sighed a little testily, he was still dead tired from the nightly activities, the monthly change was no laughing matter.

"Nothing happened, guys. And Padfoot – stop trying to burn a hole in my head with your eyes."

Sirius seemed offended. "I didn't…" then he stopped and at least had the decency to look a little abashed. "Ah, well… sorry mate."

"Did anyone she know… did they get hurt?" James asked Remus, looking the way Hermione just left.

Remus shook his head. "No, but her whole family seems to be gone, you know they say that's the reason she transferred here. There was a Death Eater attack." He seemed to be thinking. "You know, there is something weird about her, I almost got the feeling she knows me. And just now, she looked at you guys like you were her long lost pals that she somehow weren't allowed to talk to. Her heart sped up. I've noticed it before too."

"Maybe she fancies you," Sirius commented surly. He still hadn't come to terms with the unlikeliness of himself going after a girl like her.

"Nah," Remus said, still contemplating. "It's really not like that. She just told me I reminded her of an older brother."

Sirius couldn't help but grin at this, and he slapped his mate on the shoulder.

"Good for you!"

"Don't forget that we caught her sneaking out," James reminded them.

"Definitely something going on with that girl," Sirius said.

"Hey guys!" Peter's voice rang across the landing from the big doors to the Great Hall were his head poked out. "Come on, they want us in here!"

This put a stop on all their theories, and the grim look on Remus' face was mirrored on all the others' too.

* * *

Hermione ran all the way up to the headmaster's office, passed the gargoyle and got up the escalating stairs before she allowed herself a moment to breathe. Panting, she knocked on the door, and was granted with a _'Please enter'_ from inside the room.

Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, scribbling away on a piece of parchment, but looked up when she came in.

"Hermione, of course, have a seat." He gestured to the armchair in front of his desk and at the same time two cups of tea appeared in front of them.

"Are you allright?" Dumbledore seemed to pause his writing, to take in the girl's appearance. Looking over his spectacles his features softened. "Just let me finish this, there is a lot to see to. Drink your tea."

After a short while, the old man, with a flourish of his wand, made several copies of the letter he'd just finished and gave them to Fawkes, the beautiful pheonix that resided on a perch by the window. He stroked the bird on his head, Fawkes chirped and disappeared in a golden flash.

Dumbledore sighed and got back to his seat, taking a sip of his tea. "It seems that the time for action has stepped up quite some paces. The meeting I planned for the Order will be held tonight."

"Tonight, sir?" Hermione put her tea cup down at the desk. "What will you tell them?"

"The truth, of course." His eyes twinkled, and Hermione thought it could be the most disturbingly dangerous thing she'd ever seen.

She swallowed. "But, sir…"

He interrupted her. "These horrible events were as you know not the first ones, but this is the first were both the sender and the message is crystal clear. Tom is finally stepping up to get what he deems is his for the taking."

He paused a little and watched his young ward.

"We shall of course not tell anyone of your origin, Hermione. That would be foolish in extreme. But we do have information to share. I believe you think that my future self made a mistake in being too secretive?"

Hermione blushed. Her eyes still felt swollen and she was getting nervous about the upcoming plans. "Sir, it was all so different. If you'd known things earlier _then_, maybe we could have managed to finish him off. As it were, we had far too few allies left when it came to that. I just think that people can help a lot more if they know a little more of the whole picture."

Dumbledore kept examining the young witch that had – for better words – dropped from the sky into his arms, and wondered – not for the first time – if wisdom really came with age. His initial response had been to keep it all in his own hands, but he trusted the girl, and she was proof that that kind of plan would fail.

"Indeed," he mused. "We'll see tonight how our little plan will be recieved."

Hermione hesitated. "Sir… I keep thinking that I should have been able to keep this from happening."

"_Did_ you know about it?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Ah. Then you should really get it out of your head that you could have done anything about it. You have handed us mighty weapons in this fight, Hermione, but you can't change every bad event, especially if you don't know of them."

He smiled a little grimly.

"And if you'll excuse me, I have to see to the students. You should join me through the floo down to the Great Hall, if you feel up to it."

Hermione nodded and stood to leave with the headmaster. She suspected there to have been some calming draught in her tea, but felt greatful. She could breathe and she could think.

_This is why I'm here,_ she thought. _To get things done_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 6**

Hermione followed Dumbledore out from the backroom behind the teachers raised platform, and got in to the Great Hall where the volume had reached massive proportions. Passing by the Slytherin table, she could not fail to notice Lucius Malfoy's gaze upon her. She met his eyes without blinking and wondered how much he and the other in his house knew about the whole thing. Then Lucius gave Hermione an almost unnoticeble nod and what she could have sworn was half a wink and turned away.

_Malfoy, huh,_ she though while pressing through the crowd. _I just might have to add him to my list too. Great. Just great. _She gritted her teeth.

Back at the Gryffindor table, she found her friends again, and by the time she had squeezed in between Lydia and Lily, Dumbledore's magically amplified voice rang throughout the hall.

"Students of Hogwarts, please settle down."

The commotion lessened around the room, until every eye was upon the Headmaster who stood alone at the front of the teacher's platform, looking pristine and calm in his dark blue robes.

"As you've all been notified by the morning paper, there have been a string of terrorist attacks tonight." He looked out over the student body, who sat unmoving, some looking very pale, others angry.

"We've all heard about these happenings for a while now. There have been strange disappearances, attacks on muggles and even deaths among wizards. Some of you, or someone you know, might have been victims to them before, but this is the first time the organization known as the Death Eaters have moved so openly, and with their intent broadcasted for the world to see."

"What the wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort –"

Dumbledore paused, due to the amount of horrified sobs and gasps going through the room. Somewhere, glass shattered against the floor.

"—wants to do, is to destroy every inch of the wizarding world as we know it." He peered over his spectacles. "This is not about muggles and wizards, or muggle borns and purebloods. It's about gaining absolute power, and doing so by making _us_ do the fighting amoung ourselves. It is therefore time for us to decide to stand united against these forces of evil."

Dumbledore's impressive voice practically boomed now: "_I-will-not_ tolerate any hostility among the students at Hogwarts, due to the absurd notion of bloodstatus!"

He paused again before continuing, in a softer way: "I will also assure you all that we have strengthened the wards of Hogwarts castle. You are in no way in any danger, as long as you don't go wandering off the grounds. All lessons are cancelled for today, please call upon your Head of House for any personal matters concerning these events."

And with that, Dumbledore stepped back to the teacher's table, exchanged some quick words with his deputy headmistress, and then disappeared into the room in the back.

Hermione found herself among shocked classmates, some had tracks of tears down their cheeks, others looked murderous.

"Lily, are you okay?" Jenny, sitting across from her, asked, with concern in her voice.

Lily Evans, looking more shaken than Hermione had thought possible of the girl, looked up at them. Her voice shook a little when she said, quietly: "I've actually never felt worried for being muggle born before, but this…" She didn't concluded her sentence.

Her words felt like a blow to Hermione's stomach. She had not yet gotten used to the idea of being thought of as a full member of the wizarding world, without having to prove herself in every possible way. Lily's heartfelt and frightened words had her re-thinking her own place in this world.

Sirius, sitting on Lily's other side, put his arm on her shoulder and turned her around so that she was facing him.

"Evans! Snap out of it." He gave her a devilish smile. "Bunch o' inbread bastards the lot of 'em. Believe me." He gave a short laugh. "By their standards and me being a Black, I am probably one of the _purest_-" he almost spat the word. "- of wizards. And how would the world look with only people like me ruling it? People just wouldn't stand for it!"

James, on the other side of the table, jumped instantly on his words. "It would be a disaster, Sirius, a bloody disaster."

Sirius glared at James. "Thanks for the confidence, mate."

"Ah, don't be like that, you said it yourself!"

Lily snorted at the boys' bantering, but seemed to have gotten some colour back in her cheeks. "You are despicable, Black. Potter, I actually agree with you on this one."

Sirius shot her a cool look. "Just trying to cheer you up, love." But Hermione noticed a sparkle of good humour in his voice.

Lily stood up and started collecting her things. "This commotion is getting to me, I'm going up to the common room. Anyone else?"

Hermione turned her attention away from James Potter's face. He was beaming like mad at Lily's backhanded compliment, looking for the world like a lovesick puppy. Both Peter and Remus seemed highly amused by this, and Sirius feigned looking hurt by Lily's words.

"Come on," he complained. "It wouldn't be so bad."

He straightened his back and raised his chin, looking every bit the aristocrate anyone with the name of Black was supposed to be. Sweeping the hair from his concrete grey eyes, his gaze swept around the Gryffindors with a piercing intensity. Hermione shivered slightly and laughed a little. Seeing Sirius this young and confident and happy did strange things to her head.

He glared around with a dramatic look.

"Underlings!" he demanded. "Bring me stuff!"

All that happened was that the rest of the Marauders yelled at him to shut up, and Hermione, still smiling from Sirius' extravagant behaviour, turned to Lily who was grimacing at the boys.

"I'm coming with you, Lily, I should get a start on some of my projects."

The two girls turned their backs on the Great Hall and headed up the swivelling staircase.

"So, Hermione," Lily asked. "How are you settling in? Do you like it at Hogwarts?"

Hermione glanced at Lily, but couldn't help but smile. "I love it. Really."

_Especially compared to the ruined state I once saw it in._

"I know, it's wonderful, isn't it? Is it very different to your old school? No one seems to know much about the other wizarding schools in Britain, it's all about Hogwarts."

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't like using the outright lies she had to come up with when asked direct questions about her fictive character.

"Well, it was smaller of course, and not a castle at all." She smiled evasively and continued in a rather lofty voice: "I guess every place like its secrets. But all in all it was a school. Teenagers, drama, the such. I bet you know it."

Lily laughed. "Yeah, I think I do."

Hermione decided to change the subject while she had the chance, and asked: "How was your summer? You were in Salem, I heard?"

She was actually curious about this, since this opportunity hadn't been given her in her own time.

"Oh, it's a little bit funny. My parents are muggles, you see, and they put my older sister through this school exchange program in the States some years ago. She really liked it." And the she added: "Petunia isn't a witch."

Because Hermione knew of it, she heard the hurt in the girl's last words. But she felt no love for the woman that had put Harry through such awful times during his childhood.

"Anyway, mum and dad thought I'd enjoy something like it too, so they set out researching wizarding alternatives. They have really embraced this world since they got to know of it. I think that could be why I've always felt so at home among wizards, because of the support from home."

"I'm worried about them sometimes," she continued in a much lower voice. "All the targeting of muggle borns like myself, what if I put them in danger by wanting to have all this?"

Hermione blinked rapidly a couple of times and swallowed hard to get rid of the sudden lump in her throat. Lily's unexpected honesty and openness with her personal life made her heart ache. It was like the redhead had put words to all her own feelings. Many times she had wondered if she had made the right decision by sending her parents off with their minds modified to know nothing of the child left behind. She had wanted to protect them at any cost, but sometimes _she_ felt like the monster, taking away their right to choose for themselves. Taking away their right to grieve for their daughter. She had just made them forget her and everything they once had been.

"I'm so sorry!"

Lily's words made Hermione aware of having stopped right in the hallway.

Lily looked devastated. "I'm really, really sorry! I know something happened to your family, and I never ment to remind you by bringing up all this!" Her eyes glistened.

"It's okay, Lily, really," Hermione assured her softly. "This whole incident with the Death Eaters just made me remember some things."

They came up before the portrait hole. The Pink Lady swung forward at the use of the password and the girls climbed through.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lily asked when they had dumped their things on a low table.

Hermione snorted inwardly. _You wouldn't believe half of it. _

But she looked up at Lily, who seemed truly concerned, and said: "Not really." The girl next to her looked a little hurt and Hermione let out her breath. Trying to find the right words, she went on: "I mean…"

_Oh, to hell with it all. _

More people were filling up the common room, so she hurried to claim the sofa next to the fireplace, put her feet up on the table and gestured for Lily to join her. When they both were comfortable, facing the fire, she made sure they had some privacy from their house mates before starting talking. Her voice was a little weak, but she really wanted to try to explain for once. When she didn't say anything for a while, Lily started to speak.

"You don't have to, if it's hard…"

"No, I'm just pondering how to begin."

Hermione took a deep breath. "I've been fighting the Death Eaters practically since I was eleven years old, starting school. We didn't know much about them at first, but as time passed more horrible things kept on happening. And as they moved more and more into the open, we got to know them a little _too_ intensely."

She glanced sideways and noticed Lily looking confused and a little skeptic.

"I'm telling the truth, Lily. My parents are gone. I've watched my friends, and people I consider to be my extended family, die before me. My best friends—" She swallowed. "They fought for everyone and everything we know and hold dear, but still—" She unconsciously rubbed her cheek.

"When you say fighting…?" Lily asked, carefully. Hermione picked up on the subtle nuances of her question.

"Both resistance behind the scenes, and regular duelling."

"You've duelled Death Eaters?" Horror colored her voice. "Is that where you got that scar?" She pointed at the faint silvery line on Hermione's cheek.

Hermione felt somewhat bewildered at first, and almost laughed when she grasped the other's meaning.

"This?" She traced the almost invisible mark with her index finger. "I guess I did. But I'm so used to it by now, I hardly don't see it anymore."

She was twirling a stray lock of hair between her fingers. "Besides, I've got other scars that stands out a little more than this one. I really don't mind them anymore, I rather like to think of them as reminders of what it cost to obtain certain things."

"How come we haven't heard of this?" Lily sounded aggravated. "I mean, there's been reports of disappearances and stray attacks for years, but this sounds like war!"

Hermione didn't answer. How could she explain that these happenings wouldn't occur for years? She stared into the fire, until a prickling feeling at the back of her neck made her turn around, peeking over the back of the sofa. The room had filled up since the cancelling of the days' lessons, and the Gryffindors sat either studying in groups or planning their unexpectedly free day. Her eyes found the form of Sirius Black some tables away. He and the other Marauders had grouped together, but she had the uncomfortable feeling that he had listened in on them.

She remembered the adult Sirius telling Harry, Ron and her about how the changing between human and animagus form often drained the wizard's or witch's magic for some time. All four boys still looked exhausted, beyond the mere staying-up-all-night kind, so she guessed this to be true. What she didn't like was the fact that Sirius also had told them that some characteristics sometimes lingered between the forms after a change. He had talked about hightened senses. In his case this meant the canine traits of superiour smell and hearing. When he noticed her looking at him he shot Remus a hasty look and the two hurried to turn to the others, who lay sprawled out on armchairs, not far from asleep.

"Bloody dogs," Hermione muttered and she could have sworn she saw Remus furrowing his brow in a somewhat perplexed way, like he couldn't make sense of something in front of him.

Hermione decided to change the topic while there was time. She turned back to Lily. "Hey, is there anything going on between you and James Potter?"

Lily huffed indignantly. "He wishes. But I can't stand him with that ego of his. Always up to something, hexing people hither and dither just for the fun of it. I mean, honestly!" She cocked her head impatiently and the dark red hair flew around her face.

The rant amused Hermione a little, taking her by surprise. Knowing what she did about whom Lily Evans had ended up with once, she couldn't help but thinking that there perhaps was a little too much denying it. She smiled. Sitting beside Harry's mother suddenly felt a little less surreal than before.

_Oh, Harry. You really should be here instead of me_, she thought, feeling suddenly very tired.

She stood up from the couch, repressing a small yawn. "I'm going to take a short nap, then I think my Transfiguration essay could use some work. Don't want to give Professor McGonagall any excuses to give me more detentions."

Lily smiled and nodded. "See you in the library in an hour?"

* * *

The afternoon found seven students seated by a large table in the dim library. The tall windows let in the rays of a pale late-autumn sun, and the dust from the myriad of old books in the enormous room danced lazily in the air. Remus' study group had attracted a few more Gryffindors, all of them taking some advanced class of sorts and in need of the company of others in the same position. Lily had of course joined them, and was now buried in a heavy theoretical Charms book.

The sixth year prefect alongside Remus Lupin, Elisabeth Rushton, had spent the better part of the last twenty minutes muttering about an especially nasty Arithmancy problem.

"I wonder if it's possible to fail life," she said miserably before putting her forehead down on the table. She breathed heavily through her nose, her dark hair fanning out over the stacks of papers filled with scrabbled figures.

Hermione knew all too well how she felt and took pity of her and grabbed the book. After having located the problem, she went into what Harry and Ron would have called 'Professor Granger-mode', and after a few tries managed to make Elisabeth grasp the essence of the problem.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. "You really seem to understand everything."

Twisting her thick hair into a bun and securing it at the nape of her neck, Hermione smiled evasively. Truth be told, she had gone through most of the sixth year curriculum while preparing for her O.W.L.s, and this time around she mainly had to focus on trying to avoid using too much of the knowledge procured from a later timeframe. It really wouldn't do showing off uses of arithmancy equations not even thought of at this time.

A small girl entered the library and hesitantly approached the table of older students. She wore Gryffindor colours and Hermione thought she must be a second or third year.

_Gods, they're so tiny. No wonders all the adults was so furious with us when we didn't obeyed the rules, _she thought, absentmindedly.

"Hermione Granger?" the girl asked in a shaky voice. "I'm told to give you this."

She held out a sealed scroll and fled as soon as it had left her hand.

Hermione stared at the familiar thin, slanting writing of her name at the outside. She remembered all the times it had been Harry's name on one of those scrolls, all the times Dumbledore had summoned him to prepare for the annihilation of Voldemort.

"Are you okay?"

She became aware of voices and came out of her thoughts with a small jerk, looking up at her company. Everyone around the table was staring curiously at her and she cleared her throat.

"Sorry. It's just one of those days, you know?"

There were nods and agreement among the others, the earlier attacks had everyone feeling a little out of it. Several of the Gryffindors had found out they had families among the victims, and Professor McGonagall had spent the day seeing to it that her students were properly cared for. No one really knew what to say, anger and hurt shone out of most eyes you happened to meet.

Hermione unrolled the scroll and found a very short message inside.

_My office, 9 pm._

She smiled inwardly and got back to finish the conclusion on her Transfiguration essay.

* * *

Nine o'clock came and Hermione passed the gargoyle and continued up the winding staircase. She wasn't the least surprised when the heavy door into Dumbledore's office swung up on its own accord.

Dumbledore, who had been seated behind his desk when she entered, stood and greeted her with a smile. She looked around the empty room, but failed to notice anyone else.

"Aren't we meeting the others here?" she asked a little confused.

The headmaster shook his head.

"No, I think it best to not draw too much attention to Hogwarts right now. We are just waiting for… Ah, here she is!"

The fireplace blazed with emerald green flames as the Head of Gryffindor – and also the deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts – Minerva McGonagall stepped out, brushing soot from her black robes.

"Minerva! Thank you for coming!" Dumbledore welcomed the astute looking woman with her greying hair in a tight bun.

"Albus," she answered, and then she spotted Hermione. "And good evening, Miss Granger."

"Professor?" Hermione felt nervous. She didn't dare use a more intimate tone with the teacher who once had insisted upon calling her 'nothing but Minerva'. To this woman, she was still an outsider.

"Professor McGonagall will look after the school while we're out on our business." He noticed Hermione glancing at her head of house and he chuckled softly.

"Minerva is of course with us on this journey, as she has most graciously accepted my offer of a place in the Order."

Hermione nodded. She'd thought nothing less. But professor McGonagall had a disapproving look on her face.

"Albus, is it really necessary for Miss Granger to accompany you tonight?" Her sharp tone was so familiar that Hermione had to suppress a smile despite feeling somewhat indignant by the mollycoddling.

Dumbledore looked at his collegue over his spectacles. "Minerva, I've already explained that Hermione here have information that will play a central part in our struggle."

"She's sixteen!"

"And she have been through more than many of our adult allies. I need you to trust me with this, Minerva."

The scottish woman raised her cheek and pierced Dumbledore with her sharp gaze.

"Very well," she said at last.

"Hermione, did you bring your robes?"

She shook her head, having thought the meeting would take place in Dumbledore's office. Minerva undid the clasp on her own wool robe and handed it to her student without a word, though not unkindly.

"Thank you, professor." Hermione replied, feeling a little flustered by the gesture.

The robe didn't quite fit her, but McGonagall flicked her wand and the garment shrank to a perfect fit. Hermione smiled as a thank you and then Dumbledore asked her to face him. He waved his wand in a complicated pattern and she felt a ripple pass over her person. It was a little confusing at first, but when he did the same on himself a minute later she finally got it.

"Disillusionment charm?"

"Very good, Hermione. It wouldn't do to be seen outside of the castle tonight. If you would be so kind to take my arm, I'll show you the way."

Hermione stumbled a little before finding the arm he held out for her. She took a firm grip on his robes. And then he led her out, down the winding staircase and out of the castle via the secret passage behind a mirror on the fourth floor. Hermione remembered Sirius mentioning this particular one when they tried to find somewhere to house the members of Dumbledore's Army in her fifth year. It was supposed to have caved in later on, but appearently it still worked in this time.

This particular entrance into the castle was located behind some tall hedges, and Hermione had to fight her way through with only one hand, since the other needed to hold Dumbledore's invisable arm. She felt the branches scratch her face.

"This entrance is of course guarded," Dumbledore assured her in a low voice. "None but me will be able to get through here without extreme difficulty."

Hermione wondered if he knew of all the others too, and thought she should mention them to him later on, hence there was some big security hole not taken into account.

The evening air was chilly and Hermione thought about early snow. The wind blew around them and she was greatful for Minerva's warm outer robes. They walked in silence down the path towards Hogsmeade, and Hermione suddenly knew where the meeting would be held. The scruffy looking building of the bar _The Hog's Head_ came up some way away, and upon entering it at last, she felt like nothing would ever change this place. It was immediately recognizable as the same bar where the DA had gathered to form their own resistance. Nothing would change in 20 years, and it felt oddly comforting.

Hermione felt the same strange ripple pass over her, and suddenly she could see the headmaster standing before her, looking calm and at ease.

"Nothing like an evening walk to clear your head," he said to her, his eyes twinkling.

Then he turned towards the bar, where Hermione could see the infamous barkeeper Aberforth, standing observing them. He had his wand in his hand, but tucked it away as soon as Albus greeted his brother with one of his trademark smiles.

"You better get upstairs," was the gruff welcome he gave them. When passing him by, Hermione could feel his eyes burn in her back. All of a sudden, the nervousness she'd felt before came back, and her stomach twisted.

She followed Albus Dumbledore up the stairs and into the sparcely furnitured sitting room upstairs. There were already a couple of people there, seated around the room, in assorted armchairs, a couch and on wooden chairs supposedly taken from downstairs. Hermione counted twelve other persons, and recognized them all a little, although she hadn't known them all first hand. They hadn't been around in her time.

The Auror Alastor Moody, in particular, drew her eyes. She found herself thinking him odd-looking with his nose in one piece and no sight of the magical eye he no doubt would aquire later on. But there was no mistaking his identity. The way he scrutinized her had her almost shivering with unease. This man would need no magical eyeball to see all the way through her. She hoped Dumbledore had a plan.

"Baby sitting students, Albus?" Moody asked bluntly when they had taken their seats.

Dumbledore just smiled at this. "I think presentations will be in order as soon as everyone are present, Alastor. That way we won't have to repeat ourselves."

A short while after this, two more people arrived, and when Aberforth at last shut the door behind him, it seemed to be everyone. The air in the room was heavy with anticipation.

Albus Dumbledore took the floor. He let his gaze sweep around the room and its temporary inhabitants.

"These are troubled times," he said "and I would like to start with a statement. I want you all to know, that everyone in this room is to be considered a person of absolute trust. You wouldn't be here today if I didn't have unwavering faith in where you put your allegiances."

Hermione noticed the others sizing eachother up. Some seemed to know one another, others had come alone.

Dumbledore continued.

"The string of attacks that went down yesterday night is only one among many disturbing events, although it is the first with a straightforward message as to whom is to be considered the source. The wizard calling himself 'Lord Voldemort'—"

The young girl had expected the hissing and yelping from shocked people to echo through the small room, and wasn't disappointed.

"For Merlin's sake, Albus!" roared a swarthy looking man seated in one of the armchairs. He had spilled his glass of firewhiskey all over the front of his robes and was now wiping furiously at it. Several of the others seemed to agree with the man.

"My dear Caradoc, the absurd avoidence of this wizard's name must stop. He and his band of subordinates called 'Death Eaters' are nothing but gaining power by spreading fear among the population."

The muttering spreading among the congregated made it pretty clear that not everyone agreed with Dumbledore on this. But the old man with the halfmoon spectacles didn't seem discouraged.

"I have gathered you here tonight – perhaps a little earlier than I had wished for – to hope to impose on you all the importance of resistance against this dark wizard and his allies. He will stop at nothing to conquer Britain – and more, and to destroy everyone in his way to rid the world of muggles and muggle borns alike."

The room was dead silent, the flickering flames from the fire in the grate the only thing moving.

"I'm proposing that we will be forming a secret organization, intent on fighting this madness."

His voice now carried heavy seriousness. "I'm not going to lie to you, it will be dangerous, and some of us might even have to give our lives to the cause. But I would like to be so bold as to declare the alternative to be worse, much, much worse. I would like to hear your thoughts on this."

A beautiful, middle age witch to the left of Hermione huffed impatiently. "Albus, you old coot! Do you really take us for idiots?"

Dumbledore bowed his head slightly at this.

"Marlene, please elaborate."

_Marlene McKinnon then_, Hermione concluded.

"Of course we all know why you have gathered us here – at least I hope no one is dense enough to not have grasped the importance of this meeting."

When Hermione checked on the others, she had to agree with the witch, none of them seemed especially surprised, although the atmosphere was foreboding. She noticed two men in their late twenties, looking so alike that they had to be brothers, and therefore guessed that they probably were the older brothers of Molly Weasly; Gideon and Fabian Prewett. She had no way of telling who was who, but one of them raised his hand.

"There have been rumors for ages, and now we find out more and more often that people are being killed and are disappearing at an alarming rate. I don't think there's anything to discuss. Fabian and I are in."

His brother nodded, and this started a surge of agreement around the room, drowning any individual statements. A dull _'thump'_, _'thump'_ silenced everyone. Moody had used his wooden leg against the floor as a gavel of sorts and appearantly asked for attention.

"it's all very well, Albus," he growled. "As McKinnon so graciously declared – we're no idiots. We know what's happening. What I'd like to know is what we will be doing about it, and most of all – why you brought a student of yours here tonight?"

Hermione felt the eyes of everyone in the room upon her at once. She flushed red hot for a second and alarmed she looked for Dumbledore to help her out.

"I'm so glad you asked, Alastor!" Dumbledore beamed. "This here is Miss Hermione Granger. I am acting as her guardian for the time being, and she is to be considered my ward until she comes of age in a year."

"She's a child, Dumbledore!" someone on the other side of the room called, unbelievingly.

Hermione's eyes flashed at this and she had to press her jaw together to prevent herself from shouting out some of the more colourful things she had in mind. But she was intelligent enough to realise that she probably would seem like a young, innocent girl to most people not knowing her background, so she let it go.

"Well, we're all children in some way, aren't we?" Dumbledore retorted in an irritatingly serene way.

Even Hermione glared at him for this, and he sighed upon noticing. "Yes, you deserve to know why I have brought Miss Granger here tonight. There should be no secrets among us, if we are to succeed with our task."

"The short story is – Hermione have been victim to Voldemort and his Death Eaters at several occations, and have lost both family and friends to their advances. She have been fighting them for most of her young life, and when she came under my wing during the summer holiday, I realized I was given a powerful weapon in our struggle."

The people in the room were still quiet, and Hermione sensed that most of them would think her story to be a far-fetched one. Moody looked like he didn't believed a word of it.

"Do you remember what I told you the first thing I did? How I consider everyone in this room to be loyal allies, beyond any doubt, and I can't have anyone working against this. If you decide to join us, I urge you to settle any differences as soon as possible. Is there anyone who wishes to leave at this point, please do so."

No one moved and no one seemed to have expected anyone else to do so either.

"Very well." Dumbledore seemed pleased. "There will be more joining us, but for now, _we_ are the resistance in what will soon be considered a war."

"How are we to refer to ourselves?" asked Gideon Prewett.

Dumbledore seemed to have waited for the question, and Hermione almost rolled her eyes at the theatrics of his next action. Holding out his arm, he whistled a low drill, and Fawkes appeared with a _'bang'_ and a golden flash. The strikingly beautiful, red bird chirped and seated himself on Dumbledore's shoulder while the witches and wizards stared at them.

"Ladies, gentlemen. This group shall be known as _The Order of the Phoenix_."

Stroking Fawkes impressive plumage, he sat down and started proper introductions among the people present.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 7**

The night was still unseasonable cold when Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger, both once more under the disillusionment charm, exited _The Hog's Head,_ and in silence made their way back to the castle. She felt a headache coming along. Much had been said and debated during the hours of the first ever meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, and she felt exhausted by the scrutinizing she had endured from the new members. Some of them seemed to think that her place among them would have to wait until she would come of age, or even better – until she'd left school, at least. It was like battling five Molly Weasleys all at once, and as she felt hesitant of revealing too much about what she was able of, she pretty much had to retort to silently fuming through their disapproval.

They had almost reached the secret entrance to the castle, when Dumbledore broke the silence: "I think that went well, how about you?"

Hermione was glad of the fact that he couldn't see her frowning, and thought of how to best express her feelings about it all. Dumbledore acknowledged her hesitant answer with a low chuckle though, and she held back a groan. The man could read her even thought she was almost invisible.

"Well, sir…" she started. "They didn't think much of me, did they? But I guess my unwelcomed presence sort of made them all bond together against me, so perhaps it is the best we could have hoped for, for now."

She could almost feel him smiling, satisfied.

"A worthy analysis of the situation, I have no doubt of it. And I agree with you in the fullest, it is of gravest importance that our new members will be able to work together as a group."

They struggled through the thick hedge and she could feel him moving his wand arm to perform some silent spell before the entrance opened up, letting them into the castle. She felt the now well-known ripple go over her body once more, and a moment later, she could see the form of the headmaster in the dark corridor.

Dumbledore signed for her to lead the way up the narrow stair that would take them up to the fourth floor.

"It is also why I think it best not to explain our knowledge of the horcruxes just yet. We will need all the help we can lay our hands upon for us to be able to destroy Lord Vodemort and the severed pieces of his torn soul, and I want everyone to be on the same track by then."

"I understand, sir," she reluctantly admitted, lighting her wand tip and heading up the many steps.

They'd reached the gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office before he turned to her again, saying in a soothing voice: "Do not despair, Hermione. I am very pleased with the way things worked out tonight. Remember that this is only the first step towards our goal. They will recognize your qualities soon enough." He bowed his head.

"I'm going to let Minerva in on what happened now, and I suggest you get back to Gryffindor tower and your bed."

"Of course, sir." She took off the borrowed robe and handed it to Dumbledore. "Could you please return this to Professor McGonagall, with my thanks?"

"Certainly."

"Thank you, sir. Good night."

She turned around and headed down the dark corridor, checking her watch for the time. It was close to two in the morning, but she felt certain that she wouldn't be able to go to sleep just yet, not after the eventful night. It took only a moment for her to decide to use her wide-awake state for something productive and gain some headway on the potion she needed to get ready in time for the next full moon. So once more, Hermione walked the hallways of the sleeping castle. She didn't find any trouble on the way, and was soon able to head out on the dark grounds.

The main ingredients in the Wolfsbane potion were the leaves from the wild plant with the same name, along with the pistills of its flowers. It was most important that the latter was harvested from a plant of a certain growth stage. One mistake was all it took to do extreme harm with the end product. It was Professor Snape who had taught her how to brew the potion in the first place, as Remus himself in an early stage had accepted that he'd never had the same skills with potions as with other course of studies. Remus had meant for them to try to reach out to the wider werewolf community, making them join on the side of the Order by letting them know about the possibilities to keep their concious minds during the full moon. To give them the hope of banishing the beast within them. But there had never been time to convince more than a few.

She entered the Forbidden Forest, confident that she would find what she needed without having to move too far from the fringe of the forest. The prospect of running across some of the more unfriendly creatures that lived deeper in among the trees didn't appeal to the girl who felt the chilly air biting her fingers. Clad in only muggle jeans and a sweater, she somewhat regretted returning Professor McGonagall's robe, but hurried up to finish her task. She had transfigured two branches to resemble small wooden baskets, and decided to fill them both up. If the cold weather continued or got worse, the plant's flowers would be useless before long. Better to store it when opportunity was given.

Back in the castle again with her acquired goods, she purposefully headed for the third floor and the room Dumbledore had let her stay in before the term started. She hadn't visited the portait with frolicking puppies since then, and smiled widely at their sleepy yappering as she approached it.

"_Capricious," _she whispered, trying to make as little noise as possible. The portrait opened to let her in, and she almost sighed at the sight of the homy chambers, absent of demanding room mates. A flick of her wand was all it took to start up a fire in the small grate to the left of the door, leaving the rest of the room in a warm and cozy glow. She rubbed her cold hands together to get some warmth back in them, and set out to prepare the ingredients on the desk in the corner. The leaves needed to be put under a stasis spell to keep fresh until they were to be added to the potion, while the pistils had to be thoroughly dried. It felt a little weird to send a thankful thought to Professor Snape's demanding lessons when he resided in the castle as a sixteen-year old version of himself, but she knew that she'd never be able to make complex brews as this without the preparations they had gotten from him in class. A nasty temper he might have had, but the man had been a master.

All done with the preparations, she glanced longingly at the bed half embedded into the wall. But as she knew there would be far too many questions if she didn't return to her own dormitory for an appearance in the morning, she got back to the tower for at least _some_ sleep.

* * *

A few hours later, Hermione dragged herself out of bed, blearily vowing to start trying to get some proper sleep soon. At breakfast, the main topic among the students were still the Death Eater attacks of the day before, and the mood was overall a somber one. She forced herself to eat some toast and favored coffee before tea, trying to make up for the lack of nightly rest.

While standing among her classmates outside the potions classroom in the gloomy dungeons, waiting for Professor Slughorn to start their school day, Hermione noticed the atmosphere changing in the hallway. She turned around and saw several Slytherins arriving for the class, coming from their common room furter down the dungeon. The usual hostility between Gryffindor and Slytherin was instantly noticable, and the silent hatred towards the others could be felt miles away. Hermione saw one of the boys with a green-and-silver tie lean in to the group of house mates he was standing beside, and whisper something with a nasty grin on his lips. All four of them looked up at what he had commented on and malicious laughs filled the hallway. She followed their looks and could feel her blood run cold, because they were all staring at Lily Evans with amused looks, and Hermione could very well guess what the whispering had been about. Her own clashes with Draco Malfoy had gone down almost exactly like this, and they were never pleasant. Lost in her own disgusted dislike of the rivaling house, she failed to see that someone else had noticed what had happened too, and was therefore caught off-guard when hearing the furious voice belonging to James Potter coming from the very angry looking face behind his raised wand.

"Care to repeat that, Jaspers?" His hand didn't waver as he reduced some of the ground between them, in slow steps.

The Slytherin turned around sneering, backed up by his comrades who all three had drawn their wands in response to James' actions.

"Potter, of course. Here to defend the honour of your girlfriend?"

"Shut your mouth scum, I heard what you said just now." The look on James' face was absolutely dangerous.

Austin Jaspers leered at James. "What? Calling her a 'mudblood'? Filth like her getting you all riled up? Must be love." Acid dripped from his taunting words.

The dusky hallway had become dead silent, and everyone around them seemed to try to back as far away as possible, but without losing them from sight. Sirius almost growled as he grasped the significance of the situation and went to stand beside his best friend, wand out. The Slytherin tensed, and he and his friends focused all attention on the pair in front of them. Jaspers kept going, eyes now on Sirius, his voice mocking him.

"And so the sidekick steps in... You really don't wanna mess with us, Black, you'd think you would have figured that out by now. Blood traitor as you are, you will get yours when the time comes. Wasn't yesterday's events… inspirational?" He tilted his head and glanced Lily's way.

Lily Evans paled noticably where she stood holding tightly onto her books. Whether it was because of fear or anger, Hermione couldn't tell, as she herself felt a little of the first shock fade away. Against her better judgement, she raised her own wand and pointed it at Jasper's backup crew.

"Back off," she said in a sharp voice.

This was met with jeering from the Slytherin boys, and she caught James flash a look of worry at her stepping in, making her lose focus for a second as it annoyed her. This was why she didn't react in time for the stinging hex that shot out at James, making him drop his wand with a short cry and a swear. She whipped her head back at the enemies in front of them, grimacing inwardly.

_I'm getting rusty_, she thought.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ she cried out, hoping to end the conflict before anything really bad happened. At the same time, Sirius shot a fast _Petrificus Totalus_ at one of the others, and they both managed to get what they aimed for. James had stooped to pick up his wand, wincing a little at his stung hand, but managed to join them once more, trailing his wand on the last guy.

"Put those wands away!" The irritated voice of Lucius Malfoy filled the hallway, as the Head Boy slantered in, a nasty sneer on his face. He glared at the three Gryffindors and Hermione felt a shiver go down her back when his ice cold silver eyes locked on hers. His white blond hair shone in the light from the lanterns on the walls and he looked thunderous.

_Oh, dear. Not in a good mood today, Malfoy?_ she thought, while stubbornly meeting his eyes without blinking. Before anyone could say anything, the one Slytherin of the little group who still had his wand out, got overcome by the tension and rashely sent a burning spell at their rivals. Hermione who still had one eye upon the scowling Malfoy, didn't see it coming. The blue beam of light hit her shoulder and she fell backwards with a whimper. A storm of angry protests and yells broke out among the Gryffindors, and Austin Jaspers could be heard swearing at his dumbwitted mate. People rushed forward to help Hermione into a sitting position. It felt like too weak a spell to do her much damage, but her left arm felt tingly. She winced and rubbed it.

"What is the meaning of this?" The surprised voice of Horace Slughorn filled the hallway. The large man – although not as rotund as he no doubt would become later on – stared at the situation before him. His walross mustasche wobbled as he turned to the Head Boy: "Lucius?"

Malfoy drew himself up, shot one last nasty look at the Gryffindors and began in a drawling voice: "Sir, I was just about to get up to my morning class when I came upon Misters Potter and Black, and – I'm sad to say – Miss Granger, attacking Austin and his friends here. Such barbaric behaviour."

Sirius Black glowered, and said, through clenched jaws: "Sir, that's hardly the whole story. They started by attacking one of our classmates, in the most despicable way. We just defended her."

Slughorn, still looking quite dazed by the commotion, looked down at Hermione who hadn't had time to get up from the ground yet. She tensly rubbed her shoulder.

"My word!" he exclamated. "Are you hurt, Miss Granger?"

"No, sir!" she hurried to say, and took a hold on Sirius' hand to manage to get up from the floor. "It's just a scratch, really. But it wasn't me they started on." She glared at Jaspers. "They said some extremely derogatory things about Lily Evans, sir."

She hoped he would get it, she really didn't want to spell it out for him. And the Head of Slytherin didn't disappoint her. His flamboyant act of being a 'jolly good man' hadn't fooled her twenty years into the future, and it didn't now. He wasn't sorted into Slytherin by accident. Slughorn was one of the most intelligent men she had known of, altough the traits of his personality did tend to make him pompous at most times. Hermione could now see a glint of understanding in his eyes.

"Well," he started, drawing himself up, starting to sound angry. "No – I repeat, NO – fighting is allowed in the corridors! For Merlin's sake, you're not children anymore! Mister Jaspers and friends, please stay out here while the class takes their seat. Misters Potter and Black, I believe we will need you to stay too. Miss Granger need to visit the hospital wing before any lingering damage comes to your arm, you're shaking girl!"

He gestured for everyone else to enter the classroom, and Hermione started protesting, but realized that she was indeed shivering. The spell must have hit a nerve or something.

Sirius looked concerned, and started: "Sir, I think I should follow her up to the hospital wing—" but Slughorn cut him off in an weary sort of way.

"You, Mister Black aren't going anywhere," Slughorn said with force, seemingly getting more and more irritated. "We need to discuss what happened here, and there will be consequences, my word!"

"But what about her?" one of Austin Jaspers' friends piped up in a whining sort of way. "She attacked us, sir!"

Hermione, her temper starting to get the better of her, began to tell him off, but Slughorn wouldn't have any more of this.

"Enough!" he roared, his short but extensive form seemingly about to explode. None of the students dared to speak.

"Lucius will take Miss Granger up to the infirmary, and she will return after this class has ended to discuss her punishment, along with the rest of you. Now get in there, but anyone who dares to interrupt this class with more fighting will not come back to it ever again. _Is this understood?_"

Everybody nodded and mumbled: "Yes, sir."

Hermione glanced over at Malfoy, who didn't seem happy in the least at the prospect of taking the Gryffindor girl anywhere at all, but as he no doubt could see that his Head of House wasn't to be argued with at the moment, he just nodded, sullenly.

* * *

The Head Boy had not had a good morning, and dealing with the idiocy created by members of his own house had not made it better. His father had sent him an owl late the night before, and the gist of the message meant that he suddenly had all too much to do, in too short of a time. Lucius Malfoy did not like taking orders from anyone, not even from Abraxas Malfoy, whom he otherwise respected in many ways. But he had learned a long time ago that one did not go against that man without proper reasons, and he really had none, more than the feeling of disgust over the fact that he felt treated like a house elf. And now he had to tolerate the company of this chit of a girl who was too arrogant for her own good. Gryffindors really got to him. Fools the lot of them.

Hermione walked on beside him, her temper still riled up by the whole incident. Her shoulder really hurt and she wondered what the bloody hell kinda spell she had been hit with. Being so near Lucius Malfoy didn't help anything. She noticed his narrowed eyes and stiff shoulders as they went up from the dungeons, feeling marginally better by this. The odd sort of praise he had treated her with during their few earlier meetings had just felt… wrong.

"I see the rumours that usually spreads around this travesty of a school, seems to have failed spectacularly this time." Lucius' silken voice cut through the air of the deserted corridors, making Hermione return to her surroundings.

She glared at him.

"You mean you actually listen to things other people tell you? Marvellous, I'd say." It was pure sarcasm and she could sense his dislike.

"Well, going by what everyone is saying about you winning in that little DADA lesson, I would have thought you could have taken on those imbeciles, but I guess you were just lucky before then." He tilted his head in a challenging sort of way.

Hermione glowered.

"You know what, I think I can manage this on my own. Please leave for your own class."

She didn't much care for his company, and didn't hesitate to say it. She could feel the blood pumping in her ears and her arm really hurt. Feeling slightly faint for a second, she stumbled a little, and Lucius' arm shot out to steady her. This action resulted in a feeling of white hot panic on her behalf. She drew her wand impossibly fast and pointed it right in Lucius' face. Hastily stepping back, she was leaning on the wall, her face pale and glistening. Cold sweat broke out on her lower back.

"Stay back!" she hissed, her head reeling.

Lucius just stood there, staring at the peculiar girl whose hair almost seemed to crackle with raw magic. While the feeling of pure fear slowly left Hermione, she started breathing again, sliding down the wall to slump at the stone floor.

"Bloody hell, woman," Lucius muttered upon witnessing her almost passing out. He looked around the corridor for someone to help with the situation, but as most of the castle's inhabitants would be locked away in classrooms he couldn't see any other solution than to scoop the petite girl up in his arms and hurriedly carry her the rest of the way.

_Well, this day is just getting better and better, isn't it,_ he scolded himself.

Between the unpleasant assignment he'd gotten from his father and the running around Hogwarts with a Gryffindor girl in his arms, maybe he should just plan for his afternoon to be about going down to the kitchens and apply for a job. Why not. The Head Boy badge had definitely been more trouble than he had initially thought. These all demanding _responsibilities_ wasn't letting him enjoy the power he'd hoped it would carry, but rather forced him to keep everyone else in line by behaving like a bloody role model himself. He had more than wanted to blast those infuriatingly stupid Potter and Black to smithereens, but the badge had forced him to settle for diplomacy instead.

Just great.

Upon entering the infirmary, he laid Hermione down on the first hospital bed availiable, calling for the matron. Madam Pomfrey came running out from her office, being all business.

"Mister Malfoy! What have happened?"

Poppy had her wand out in a second, performing some sort of diagnostic spell, and Lucius had taken a step back. "She was hit in the shoulder with a spell. But she was fine up until a minute ago."

"She's burning up!" Pomfrey stated in a calm voice, fishing up a couple of vials from her robe's pocket, tipping something pale pink down Hermione's throat, and following it up with a blue one.

Hermione's eyes were only half opened, and she slowly swallowed the potions. After a short time, she seemed to have drifted to sleep. Her wavy hair was damp with sweat and her face as pale as the pillow she was resting on.

The matron turned to Lucius. "It was lucky she had you bringing her up here, Mister Malfoy, that spell was a nasty one, intensifying over time. It was very good indeed it didn't hit her straight in the chest, or she'd probably been much worse off by now." She frowned. "I need to dress the wound, could you please inform the headmaster about what has happened?"

Lucius felt uncomfortable, but nodded and left the hospital wing.

_Those stupid, stupid dunderheads, with their constant habits of drawing attention to themselves._

Didn't they understand that these were crucial times, understand that you had to think before doing anything rash? They insisted on playing children's games and maintaining house rivalry when there were so much more important things going on outside the school.

Anyone meeting the Head Boy that morning in the corridors, would probably have hurried to find the first available hiding spot, because the look on his face would probably have scared anyone but the most foolish of Gryffindors. Once more he had to run errands for others. This just wouldn't do.

* * *

Sirius went up to the hospital wing around lunchtime, after the Potions lesson was over and Slughorn had decided on their punishments. The man wasn't perticularily imaginative and had settled for detentions all around. Neither James nor Sirius cared much about it, both being more upset by the fact that they had had to listen to McGonagall scolding them for ten minutes for 'behaving like trolls'. It was also she who informed them about Hermione's bad reaction to the spell, making sure to let them know that the Slytherin responsible for it would get additional cleaning work with the caretaker, since such a dark spell was indeed frowned upon.

When he quietly snuck into the infirmary, he caught sight of one of the beds further in the room having drawn curtains around it. He looked around the bright space filled with rows of beds, keeping an eye out for Madam Pomfrey. His experience was that she didn't much approve of visitors in the patient's early stages of recovery, and being a Marauder, he and his mates had had reasons to visit this place probably more than was healthy. He got closer, not wanting to disturb her if she was asleep, but as he peeked around the drapes, he found her cinnamon eyes watching him. She was still very pale, and had two red spots high on her cheeks.

"Hi," he said. "Are you okay?"

She smiled. "Pretty much. Still got a fever, though." She grimaced a little, and Sirius smiled back. He pulled a chair up next to her bed and put his feet up to rest on the end of it while leaning back, looking more than comfortable. He tilted his head, still grinning at her.

"I have to admit, you certainly aren't a coward."

Hermione felt something flutter in her stomach when he spoke those words, and she chuckled slightly. She was rather tired and had been made to take a lot of different potions that made her a little dizzy, but she felt amused by the familiarity.

"I should have gotten him before anything like that could have happened. I only blame myself."

Truth was, she had wondered about why she had acted so foolishly and allowed herself to take her eyes off known enemies in the middle of a dispute, but had come to the conclution that she'd actually started to relax somewhat in the confinement of the castle, and either way, she didn't much want to battle students if it wasn't entirely necessary.

They chatted lightly for a couple of minutes, together coming up with imaginative insults concerning the Slytherins, that pretty much would have had them blasted to pieces if they had been overheard by said people. Hermione felt rather good laying sleepily in her bed, and Sirius' animated company cheered her up. On Sirius' part, he found the witch to be both funny and having a slightly malicious streak that rather spoke to him. He had never seen her acting this relaxed around him, and suspected that she probably had been given some potion to help her rest. He wondered whether he should feel guilty about keeping her up.

Suddenly, Hermione winced and her right hand shot up to cover her left shoulder, where she had been hit before. Sirius instantly stopped his humourus bashing and sat up straight.

"What happened?" he asked intensely.

"It's just throbbing, is all," she said, as she with a frown had pulled the hospital shirt down from her shoulder, rubbing the tender spot that was dressed in bandages.

Sirius stared at her. She noticed him going quiet and looked up. His eyes were glued at the inch thick scar that pertruded up from under the shirt as she had uncovered her shoulder. Hermione didn't know what to say, and apparently, neither did Sirius who seemed petrified. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Lily Evans that she no longer minded her scars, but it felt a little uncomfortable having him staring like that. She bit her lip and tugged at the shirt to put it back on.

"Can I see it?" His question had an unexpected tenderness to it, and Hermione felt so relieved that he hadn't been disgusted by it that she couldn't help but smirk.

"Trying to get under my shirt without even a date, Mister Black?" She was amused by the way he actually blushed bright red, seemingly just understanding what he had asked for. He gave her an apologetic smile and ran his fingers through his black hair, looking flustered.

"You mean there's more of it?" He seemed incredulous, but narrowed his eyes, as she after having taken a long look at him actually pulled down her comforter and tugged at the hem of her shirt until it was a short way up her stomach, showing him the right side of her torso. That part of the scar was as thick and as evil looking as the bit at the top had been.

His grey eyes were huge. "What the bloody hell has happened to you?"

She yawned. "Long story, Sirius. It will have to wait for another day."

He seemed disappointed, but realised it was probably best to get out before Poppy came by and discovered him there.

"How long will you be here for?" he asked, getting up from the chair.

"Just until the fever goes down," she answered.

Sirius shot her a big grin as he walked backwards, away from the bed, saying: "I really look forward to hearing your story, Miss Granger."

Hermione gave him a little wave of her hand before her eyes fluttered shut, and before falling into sleep, she wondered whether it had been a bad idea to encourage him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 8**

It was close to curfew. Hermione concentrated hard on stirring the slowly boiling brew. _Twenty two stirs clockwise, five stirs counter clockwise, fifteen stirs clockwise, twenty stirs counter clockwise. Repeat._ She ticked off the schedule on a piece of parchment while going through the same pattern for almost three quarters of an hour. Feeling quite drained at the end, she reduced the blue flame underneath the brass cauldron to a tiny sliver of a flame, causing the potion in it to maintain the perfect temperature. She breathed out, wiping a little moist from her brow. After several hours of work, it was almost done. All that remained was a couple of minutes of simmering and then it could be bottled.

She had really made good use of the little room behind the puppy portrait. The desk now contained a small potions lab, and this was were she had been spending the better part of her week, preparing for and now completing the Wolfsbane Potion. It hadn't been easy making up excuses for her classmates, but she had settled on blaming her absence on the detentions she'd gotten from the fight with the Slytherins the week before. McGonagall had convinced Slughorn to take over the responsibility for her own students' punishments, and now she helped maintain the belief that Hermione spent most of her free time doing unpleasant chores.

At last, the little time keeper she had put on the desk chimed, and Hermione completed the last step by putting a cooling spell on the cauldron. The simmering stopped at once. She hurried to ladle as much as she needed into a bottle and stoppered it. She stared at it, a warm glow in her chest. Of course, she would have to go through it all every month, as the stuff wouldn't keep fresh more than a full moon at a time, but it was worth it. She thought of the fact that Remus had no idea that many of his pains and sorrows would soon be gone.

Hurrying to tidy up the mess she'd made during the evenings spent managing the difficult potion, she at last felt ready to leave the room. She was still in her school uniform since she'd left her last class to get to work, and she longed to get out of it and into a comfortable pair of pajamas. Hermione collected her stray belongings, climbed out through the portait hole and warded it thoroughly with mumbled incantations. Her wand left golden streaks in the air. She had added this extra protection, in case anyone ever were to discover her little hideout, and she didn't like the idea of others snooping around her 'special' potions. All done, she headed straight for Dumbledore's office to leave her project with him. Afterwards, she went straight to bed.

* * *

Remus Lupin watched his fellow marauders intensely. Peter had managed to procure some Slytherin's textbook, and now both James and Sirius did their best to try and make it shout loud insults at its owner whenever they would see to it that he got it back. Remus ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair, feeling a little guilty that he really didn't even want to try to stop their pranks. Actually, he pretty much thought that anything they'd come up with would be too good for the snakes. The confrontation that had gone down the week before had made any relations between the two houses as cold as ice.

He was always a little astonished by the fact that Sirius Black had broken a long line of traditions by getting sorted into Gryffindor. He knew his black haired friend didn't like to talk about his family, and the fact that his younger brother Regulus had followed the family's expectations and continued in, what their mother called the 'proper ways', only seemed to make Sirius more angry at his given parentage. The brothers never spoke in school, not even when passing each other in the corridors.

"Remus?"

He turned around, looking for whoever had called him, and found Lydia Parks climbing through the portait hole into the Gryffindor common room. She approached him.

"Dumbledore asked me to tell you that he'd like to see you. He's in his office right now," she said. Remus nodded. As she went away, he figured it would probably have something to do with the prefect situation which had come across some difficulties since the rivalry between two of the houses had escalated. The nightly patrolling didn't go down too well when the ones doing it spent more time arguing than looking for trouble. He stood to leave, never noticing Lydia watching him from the other side of the room.

When Remus entered Dubledore's office, he had thought he would meet some of the other prefects there, but the room was empty apart from him and the Headmaster. Dumbledore smiled warmly at him and gestured for him to sit down. There were two cups of tea set out before them. He felt a little bewildered, but got down in the comfortable armchair. He looked questioningly at Dumbledore, who smiled.

"How are you doing, Mister Lupin? I hear that your grades are as good as ever, very impressive, I might say."

"Yes, sir, everything's just great." He wondered what was going on, the old man seemed to have something serious on his mind.

They chatted for a while about schoolwork and indeed touched upon the practical problems with the prefects. Apparently the Head Boy and –Girl would call a meeting soon. And then the question he'd dreaded for ages came.

"And how are you handling your special condition?"

Remus' heart sank. This was it, then. He felt his heartbeat in his throat. He had been waiting for something to go wrong. Maybe someone had worked out he was a werewolf, and now demanded him thrown out of Hogwarts. Or maybe Dumbledore had gotten wind of the fact that his friends had performed some extremely dangerous magic to be able to join him once a month, illegaly on top of that. He wondered what he could do to get them out of trouble, how much the man knew.

He settled for a careful inquiry. "Sir?"

Dumbledore just watched the young man before him. Oh, he knew all too well about most things going on at Hogwarts. In fact, he had been truly impressed by the boys' abilities to achieve such difficult transformations. But even more impressive perhaps, was the emotional bond shared between them. He knew Remus Lupin needed friends that accepted him for what he was, and that's why he had turned an – almost – blind eye at their nightly activities now and then.

He decided it would be cruel to torture the young man any longer, and so he reached into his top desk drawer and took out the bottle of potion that Hermione had given him the evening before. He put it on the desk between them.

Remus seemed puzzled. "Sir?" he asked again.

Dumbledore studied him over his halfmoon glasses. "Mister Lupin, I believe I have some good news for you. This potion here," he gestured with his hand, "is a newly developed concoction, making a werwolf's transformation into a whole new experience, I am told." His eyes twinkled.

Remus had narrowed his eyes, and was staring at the medium sized glass bottle. He streched out a hand and took it, examining its contents. After a few moments, he said:

"What does it do?"

Dumbledore beamed.

"So glad you asked, Mister Lupin! You see, the potion you are holding in your hand is to be taken once a day during the week leading up to the full moon. It is very important to not miss a single dose. If taken correctly, the actual transformation into the werewolf shape will still go down, but with the difference that you will keep your own mind the whole time.

"No more danger to others," he added.

Remus had gone suddenly white, staring at the bottle in his hands.

"No more Beast, Remus," Dumbledore said softly.

For a long time, no one said anything. Remus kept turning the bottle over and over. He breathed out forcefully. He sat up straight, his eyes a little red from the wetness that had filled them. He gave a short sort of a laugh and reached out to take a sip of the tea in front of him.

"Are you sure, sir?" he asked, clearing his voice.

"As sure as I can be."

"Who made it?"

At this question, Dumbledore hesitated for a second. "The maker wants to stay anonomous for now, but it is someone whom I trust immensely, believe me. I hope you understand that everything concerning this rather extraordinairy potion is a sensitive matter, Mister Lupin, and I want to impose that the knowledge of it stays between us."

"Of course, sir!" Remus seemed to have a difficult time taking his eyes off the treasure in his hands.

"Misters Potter, Black and Pettigrew could be excused though, I think."

Remus Lupin looked up and beamed. Dumbledore marvelled at the happiness that radiated from the young man. He had never seen such a huge smile on his face, which more often than not had had a troubled look. Not for the first time, he sent a thankful thought to the girl who had made it possible.

The Headmaster brought their meeting to an end, and as Remus went back to Gryffindor Tower, he felt almost dazed. _No more Beast_, he thought over and over again. Somewhere deep inside of him, he wondered if it really could be true, if the horrors of his curse were to be lessened. Did he dare to hope?

* * *

October ended and as tradition goes, November followed. The days went by with the papers reporting a few more sightings of the Dark Mark over people's houses. To an outsider, these attacks would seem like random violence, but Hermione and Dumbledore – who by now had an extensive network of strategically placed people around the country – knew better. The people disappearing were all wizards and witches in possession of one extraordinary strength of magic or other. She had warned Dumbledore about the possibility that Voldemort himself could come to try and collect Horace Slughorn, but none of their sources could give any clues as to when this could happen. Their intelligence also told them of giant involvement in the south, just as Hermione had known it would come to. A common sort of unease and unknown panic amongst the wizarding world seemed to creep slowly over the country.

Another Tuesday brought them a break in the cold weather, as some of the sun came out from behind the usually heavy clouds and warmed up the grounds. Many students could be found having taken their lunch with them outside, basking in the unexpected sunshine.

Hermione had put down her robes on the whiltering grass, and was now resting on top of them, her face turned up at the sky and her eyes closed. She had brought her Defence Against the Dark Arts books with her, thinking to get a start at the essay Professor Alderaan had assigned them for homework, but her heart was really not in it. She found it hard writing about the Unforgivables when all the books stated facts she didn't agree with. She knew there were situations when these specific spells were indeed needed, and how could she argue about this without admitting that she herself had cast the Killing Curse on several occations? She knew exactly how thoroughly they drained their caster's magic when used, and what kind of state you needed to set your mind to, to even begin to try to cast them.

There had been several moments these last weeks when she had thought of just leaving the school, to take on the resistance movement full time, but whenever the thought of spending the rest of her life without anything academic to fall back on, she became just blank. She had a hard time even thinking about a life without constant fighting for her survival. To be living a life in peace, as an adult, with a family perhaps… Unthinkable. But if she couldn't even picture it, what was left to fight for?

Someone shadowed Hermione's sun and she peered up at the figure who stood darkly outlined against the sky. She smiled.

"Hi Remus."

Remus Lupin threw himself down beside her. She knew he would have to start his usage of the Wolfsbane Potion today, and could guess that he was pretty expectant and nervous about the outcome. She wished there was some way of telling him that everything would work out fine.

"Taking studying to another level I see?" he teased her, commenting on her closed and stacked books.

Hermione snorted, a little amused. It still baffled her that she somehow had become friendly with the marauders, especially as she'd done everything to avoid it in the beginning. Personal issues were still a sensitive topic, but she could now spend time in their company without any serious freakouts. After the whole fighting incident that had ended up with her staying in the hospital wing for two days, she and Sirius had a much easier time talking to each other. She suspected that he actually had some interest in her, beyond the mere friendliness they'd ventured into, but she really couldn't allow herself to stray too far away from the mission she had at hand. Starting some silly romance would be foolish to the extreme, and either way, she had no doubt that Sirius would find something else to catch his eye soon enough. The girls fawned over him. It was ridiculous, really.

The two Gryffindors ended up spending their lunch hour discussing the practical DADA lessons that were to follow. Since the duelling class, they hadn't done much more exciting things than pure spell practice, and Hermione already knew it all, making the class bordering on boring for her. But she still made a point though, of not trying to draw too much attention to herself, so like a good girl, she sat through it.

* * *

Time kept on going, just as it always does, even for people who find themselves experiencing it in – shall we call it – _unusual _ways.

Hermione looked up at the evening sky through the windows in Gryffindor Tower. November was as dark as always, and the sunny treat they had been given a couple of days ago hadn't lasted. But the skies were clear and the full moon would go up in an hour or so. She had noticed all the marauders had been missing since dinner time and figured that they'd already snuck out into the grounds, waiting for Remus' transformation.

And right she was. The whole day had been a nervous blur for the werewolf, and both Sirius and James now watched their friend with concern. The boys had placed themselves in the small clearing where they usually partook in these monthly episodes. They all found it hard to believe that anything like what Dumbledore had promised their friend could ever work, and were therefore keeping on their toes. Remus had taken the innovative potion every day during the last week, and not once had he complained about its foul taste, though they saw him grimacing every time he took a sip.

And so the moon started to show over the tree tops. At first, it was just a sliver of light, but as the minutes ticked off, more and more of the celestial body came into view.

By now, Remus Lupin very nearly hyperventilated and – almost in despair – felt the usual tremors go through him as the bones in his body grew and shot out. _It didn't work then!_ His back arched as the spine lengthened and he growled in anguish as the rest of his body surrendered to the beast and he finished the transformation. Then he found himself laying panting on the forest floor, feeling strangely confused. Never before had he remembered waking up in the cursed form, as he usually just found himself in some strange place in the morning, hoping he hadn't killed anyone during the night.

_But this was new…_

Sirius and James stood back, ready to burst into their animagus forms at the first sign of trouble. They saw the werewolf slowly get up on all four legs, seemingly disoriented. It shook its massive head, like as if wanting to clear its mind. The young men seeing this felt stunned. Usually, the werewolf would have either set off into the forest, hunting anything that moved, or tried to rip their throats out. James' antlers were really the only thing that had kept him from attacking them during their runs.

But now they witnessed together in astonishment as the huge wolf turned its head their way, the yellow eyes trailed upon them and to their amazement it barked loudly. Huge grins formed on both James' and Sirius' faces as they looked at each other.

"Way to go, Moony!" James laughed and walked forward to his friend.

Remus had sat down on his hind legs, having full control over the previously so hated animal form. James streched forward a hand, and when the wolf actually started licking it entusiasticly, he roared with mirth and threw his arms around him. If Sirius hadn't known it was one of his best friends in there, he would never have believed his eyes. But as of now, he gave a happy bark of a laughter, sprung out into his ragged black dog form and rushed forward to join the others in their jubilation. Soon after, a big stag could be seen joining the canines running through the forest.

* * *

Hermione panted. She clenched her jaw and irritably wiped the sweat away from her forehead, pressing herself to go even faster. After reaching her predetermined goal, she hastily slowed to a stop and could barely stand, almost wanting to collapse into a heap on the ground. Her breathing was heavy and the world spun.

"Merlin, I'm out of shape," she groaned between the gasps for air, leaning her hands on her knees, keeping her head down.

It had occured to her earlier that she hadn't gotten any sort of real training – neither physical nor magical – since she'd ended up in this timeframe. And it showed. She knew she mustn't let her guard down like she had done lately, letting people sneak up on her just because she hesitated to fight students. In comparison to how she had lived just some short months ago, her physique had really deteriorated. Before, there had been hours of physical training every day. Harry, Ron and she had spent practically every free moment duelling and making up strategy scenarios, fighting each other and the other Order members. She had been in top shape, her sharp mind had observed and noticed every little detail out of place, and her body could go on for hours.

_Time to shape up Granger_, she'd thought grimly.

She had settled for a couple of laps around the lake in the early morning. The weather was perfect, a pale morning sun, crisp chilly November air. It was lovely, really. Hermione had tied her hair back at the nape of her neck, but due to the heavy excercise, a couple of strands had escaped its confinement and now they framed her red face as she slowly got her breath back.

_I think that'll be enough for the first day._

Hermione sank down on an old log that was laying on the beach and breathed in the crisp air, enjoying the calm and solitude. Most of the castle would still be sleeping, she knew that. Not many teenagers got up voluntarily before the alarm clock rang, but Hermione liked the silence of the early mornings. Taking a last look at the peaceful lake, she made to walk back up to the castle.

* * *

A soft noise disturbed Sirius's sleep. He groaned irritable and pulled out the pillow he'd been laying on and hid his head underneath it. The dormitory was filled with the golden sunlight of morning, and he sighed sleepily when his world got pleasantly dark.

And there was that sound again.

"Cut it out," he grunted. "Whoever does that, just… Just don't." He yawned under his covers.

The bright laugh of Remus Lupin chimed through the room, and Sirius raised his head enough from its resting place so as he was able to see his friend sitting cross legged on top of his bed, fully clothed. He looked absolutely elated, the sun making his hair shimmer with golden streaks.

"Aww. Too early!" Sirius whined, then shut his eyes again and returned to under the pillow.

"He's gone mental!" James' muffled voice could be heard from the other side of the room.

Sirius sat up slowly, and half heartedly glared at his wide-awake friend who smiled back at him. The enormous grin on Remus' face made Sirius unable to stifle a chuckle.

"Chipper, are we?" He ran a hand through his tousled, black hair, trying to blink away the sleepiness from his eyes.

Remus nodded exitedly. "See this here?" He held out his arm and showed Sirius a long scratch that went up his forearm.

"You're happy about a wound?" James had sat up too, looking like he'd gotten about five minutes sleep during the night.

"Yes!" Remus beamed, turning his head between his room mates.

"Truly mental, then," James said and yawned hugely. He rubbed his eyes.

The blond young man smiled and shook his head. "Guys! I actually know where it came from! It's not some dark injury from when I supposedly tried to kill innocent people, it's from when James tripped me and I rolled down that hill, remember?"

Sirius grinned. "We're only pulling your leg, mate. We get why you're so happy, last night was awesome!"

James agreed. "Yeah, we totally get why you're excited, Moony, but," he almost pleaded, "can we please get just a little more shut eye? I have to sit through Binns' lesson in less than two hours, and last week McGonagall happened to come by for a word with the teacher, and when she saw me nodding off in the back… Well, let's just say it wasn't pretty." He shivered. "Aw, man. She scares the living shit out of me when she starts up like that. I'm never gonna be able to sleep more now."

"Well, I'll go down for breakfast, you guys coming?" Remus got off the bed and took up the task of getting his tie on straight while walking to the door.

Sirius grimaced too, and both boys started to get up.

"You haven't slept at all?" James asked Remus, while trying to locate one of his shoes by looking under the bed.

"Not a minute, mate, and it've been the best night of my life!"

He saw the amused look Sirius pulled while buttoning his shirt. Remus laughed.

"Don't be dirty, Padfoot. This is a great day." The sun that came in through the window lit up his face, but it had nothing on Remus Lupin today. He practically glowed.

Five minutes later they had made it down to the – due to the early hour – silent common room, and found to their amusement that Peter lay sleeping in an armchair. The smaller boy had never joined them for the run the previous night and they had wondered why, but as he was all covered in grime and spiderwebs it became apparant that he had been busy with something.

"Oi!" Sirius said loudly. "Peter, wake up!"

He shook his sleeping friend's shoulder, and Peter sat up with a jerk. He stared around bewildered, but upon seeing who they were he sank back with a groan.

"Have you any idea what I went through for you guys?" he whined as he, a little sleep fuddled brushed away some of the dirt on his clothes.

"Whaa? What do you mean?" James asked with raised eyebrows.

Peter looked miserable.

"I went to give back that book we stole, you know, to that Slytherin prick. Anyway, I snuck down to the dungeons right after dinner, thought I'd leave it on a bench somewhere. But I tripped and fell in the hallway and dropped it. The blasted thing went ahead and shouted out all those things you two charmed it to do."

Peter stood up and started to go in the direction of the boys' dormitories. He glared at Sirius and James who had a hard time keeping their faces straight. When even Remus looked like he seemed to think the story hilarious he stopped and gave him a funny look.

"The noise made all sorts of Slytherins come running, and Malfoy," he grimaced at the name, "showed up and gave me detention because of the book. He made me clean out some crappy old storage room the whole night, I wasn't done until four in the morning. I was so tired I hardly made it up here at all. Fell asleep in the chair."

Remus chuckled. "Sorry mate, we'll make it up to you. Promise!" he said with a smile.

Peter watched him with a curious look i his eyes. "About that, how did it go last night?"

"Bloody amazing!" Sirius said with gusto. "Moony is now nothing more but a pup, really." He glanced at Remus who tried to scowl but failed, not really caring. Not this day. "Prongs even threw some balls for him to catch."

James snorted. "Likely, Siri. I think even that saint of a werewolf we saw last night would rip my throat out for something so demeaning. Maybe we should try a leash on you, though?" There was a big grin on James' face. "Your ego is getting a little too big for you."

"Never!" declared Sirius with a dramatic handwave.

Peter yawned. "Really happy for you, Moony. But I need a shower before class, don't I. See you later."

They waved goodbye to the fourth marauder and went down for an early breakfast. While chowing down on all sorts of food, the boys tried to think of a new plan to get even with the Slytherins. Sirius, who even when he was dead tired with messed up hair looked exactly like it was all planned out, had caught the eye of a sixth year Ravenclaw girl at the table a little further away, and was smiling enticingly at her over James shoulder. When James had said his name for three times without any response, he shouted:

"Mate, get a grip!"

Sirius blinked and turned his gaze at James. "What?"

"Try and stay with us for five seconds, why don't you? Anyway, I thought you'd asked Granger to go with you to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Sirius shrugged. "She didn't seem interested," he answered, chewing a piece of bacon. "Told me she'd spend the day with her girlfriends."

James and Remus stared at Sirius for a couple of seconds.

"She blew you off!" James exclaimed delightedly. "The mighty Mister Black actually got a 'No' for once? Oh, such a glorious day, this should be written down in a _Hogwarts a History_. Isn't that what it's called, Moony?"

Remus just grinned. "Indeed."

But he did become curious as to why this had happened. Finishing his eggs, he wondered about Hermione. He was pretty sure she hadn't anything against Sirius, all the evidence rather pointed to the opposite. His werewolf traits always made him aware of people's heart rate, and her's did funny things whenever Sirius was near her. It was like having a built-in supply of Veritaserum, and he was seldom wrong. He had noticed her still stiffen up around James and Peter too, but it was different. The girl was a mystery, and somehow he felt like solving it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Chapter 9**

"It's freezing!" Jenny complained, her teeth chattering. She tucked her hands deep into the pockets of her robes, trying to keep them warm.

Lily, Jenny and Hermione followed her down the trail that led to Hogsmeade. The Saturday was grey and there were traces of stray snowflakes blowing around in the air. The girls all muttered their agreement to Jenny's statement and did their best to sweep their knitted scarves tighter around their necks.

This was the first time Hermione would see all of Hogsmeade in this time. The brief glance she had got from the trip she'd taken with Dumbledore when they went to the Order meeting hadn't told her much about the place. Some things were different, she noticed. A few stores would apparently disappear later on, but Honeydukes and Zonkos still resided in their original places, and she smiled at the sign of The Three Bromsticks. She longed for the warmth of the cozy bar, holding a warm Butterbeer in her hand. As they walked slowly through the main street, which was filled with both Hogwarts students and a large number of what looked like both lockal residents and a mass of tourists, the others pointed out their favorite places in the wizarding village, believing she had never visited it before. Hermione saw with an odd feeling of approval that there were no Madam Puddifoots in this time. Merlin, she'd hated that place.

Lydia and Jenny stopped outside of Gladrag's Wizardwear, the colourful window display of robes having caught their eyes. Hermione didn't much like the thought of wasting money on unnecessary clothes – even though Dumbledore had insisted on giving her a rather large bag of galleons for spending money – and she and Lily continued to the antique bookstore located in one of the many small alleyways, instead. They spent some time among the bookshelves, admiring rare edition books that cost more than any of them had ever owned, and each of them bought a new set of quills. Hermione really enjoyed spending time with Lily. The red head was easy to talk to and was intelligent enough that it offered both the girls a little clever challenge in their cheeky banterings.

The girls visited what felt like dozens of stores, including the marvellous Honeydukes, where they were cornered for some time by a very jolly Horace Slughorn. The Potions Professor seemed to be in an extremely good mood, his booming voice could be heard all over the candy store as he gripped a carton of sweets and twinkled at the Gryffindors.

"I almost wasn't able to come down today, but dear Thomas – Thomas Barrett at the Ministry Office of Communications that is – managed to get me out of a very dull previous engagement." He chuckled with delight and continued prattling on about his many contacts. Hermione found that he indeed worshipped his favourite red headed muggleborn student, and Lily had to resort to lies for them to be able to get away from him.

The two girls went down the main street, to meet up with the others at The Three Broomsticks. The bar was crowded, but they were instantly greeted with a handwave from the other side of the room. It was Lydia, who apparently just had gotten there, as she was about to carry two Butterbeers over to the booth were Jenny waited. Hermione and Lily pressed through an excited group of third years on their first Hogsmeade trip, skillfully avoiding the exuberant Potions teacher who also had decided to visit the bar. They sat down gratefully, their cheeks red from the cold outside. Lily ordered them the same warm beverage as the others, and then they exchanged gossip while thawing their toes. It wasn't long before a commotion was heard from the entrance, and Hermione and Lydia, who sat facing the door, could see the four marauder boys hurrying to get in, complaining loudly about the cold. James, being captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team, had scheduled a practise session in the morning, seeing as they had a match against Ravenclaw next weekend. Judging by Sirius' grumpy apparence, he hadn't liked being dragged out in the cold so early at a Saturday, and the boys quarrelled like first years.

Lydia blushed upon seeing Remus Lupin scanning the room, as he actually caught her eyes in the process.

"Oh, crap," she mumbled.

Both Lily and Jenny had turned around at the sound of the commotion, and now watched her with amused looks on their faces.

"You really should talk to him, you know," Jenny said, smiling at her best friend.

"Oh, no, no, no," Lydia hissed. "I don't think he knows I exist."

Hermione smirked surreptitiously and then waved her hand at Remus. He greeted her with a smile and elbowed James in his side, pointing at them. She couldn't hear their exchange of words over the length of the room, but James did indeed light up when he looked over at their table.

Lily had also noticed this, and she groaned a little at the sight of James Potter.

"It will be fun," Hermione promised her.

Lily gave her an exasperated look, but muttered something that sounded like 'for Lydia's sake then', and Hermione thought to herself that if she was lucky, this afternoon might be the start for more than one couple.

After having located their mates, Sirius and Peter came over, carrying Butterbeers for all four boys. The girls hopped in further to make place for all of them, and Hermione noticed Sirius glancing at her before sitting down. She knew his ego had been slightly damaged by the rejection she'd given to his proposal that they'd spend the day together. The thought of it had made her feel strangely tingly at first – perhaps it still did a little – but her gut feeling told her that it whas a bad move to get involved with someone at this point. Mission first. _And it was Sirius…_ The whole thing made hear head spin.

Hermione noticed with glee that Remus seemed like a whole new person since his experience with the Wolfsbane Potion. She hadn't seen him frowning once in the last couple of days. Now he was the life of the party, along with James and Sirius who did their best to entice the witches at the table. Peter was a little quiet, as usual, but laughed with the others. Now and then, Hermione had to adopt the role of peacemaker and put out some potential fires, when James manage to nudge Lily's patience a little too much at times.

_Really_, she thought, shaking her head mentally. She'd have to talk to him about this behaviour. But Remus, on the other hand seemed to enjoy the company of a certain witch enough to keep the teasing of her at a level that only made Lydia Parks flush happily.

_Score_, Hermione thought, satisfied.

This was the exact moment when a loud explosion could be heard from somewhere outside, making the floor of the bar shake. A few glasses and bottles fell off the tables and crashed, causing Butterbeer, firewhisky and glass shards to fly everywhere. The room went dead silent for half a second, before it erupted in confused shouts.

"What in Merlin's name was that?"

"Hey, you spilled my drink!"

People rushed to the windows to examine the source of the explosion, but Hermione had gone dead pale where she sat. She could, through the windows, see the figures slowly coming down the main street some way away, clad in black robes and horrible masks. She didn't waste any time and whipped out her wand, hastily standing up. There was a fierce look on her face as she frantically motioned for everyone to get up.

"Get the younger kids, be sure to hide them in the back room. Do _not_ go outside, do _not_ get them back to the castle – just _hide_!"

The others looked confused as she hurried to tuck in her wavy hair into the back of her sweater, so that it would be out of the way, then shed her outer robes. Say what you want about the comfort of wizarding clothing, but she preferred slim muggle clothes to flowing robes when it came to fighting.

"But…" began Jenny. "What…"

Hermione spun around, piercing her with her eyes.

"Death Eaters are coming, we need to act _now_."

Panic begun to spread around the room as more people had caught sight of the cause of the turmoil.

"Death Eaters…" Lily choked, white in the face.

"But what are _you_ going to do?" asked Peter, sounding frightened.

She just glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. The few seconds seemed to strech out for hours, and she wondered grimly whether it would be best to take care of him right away, if he really was a lost cause, or if there was some good left in the smallest of the marauders.

_No time._

tore her gaze away from him, concentrating on the situation outside.

"I'll deal with it," she said, and to the other Gryffindor's amazement, and horror, she headed for the door before anyone could stop her.

She snuck out and sprinted for the first alley she could get into, keeping an eye on the approaching doom that seemingly lazily blasted away the windows of several of the shops they passed. The bangs and crashes echoed between the houses. She swore under her breath, as the main street still had some curious people wandering about, not having grasped the seriousness of the situation. Her heart jumped a beat when she noticed several groups of younger Hogwarts students standing around, their mouths open in bewildered confusion over the happenings.

"Bloody hell!" she hissed through clenched jaws, forcing the panic to settle anywhere but in her head. She almost jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned her head to see James, Sirius and Remus behind her.

"We need to get the kids out of the way," James said. She could hear his voice shake a little, but he seemed settled at doing this no matter what.

_So like Harry._ The pang of the memory of her best friend tore her back into the present.

Hermione nodded once. "James, you and Remus need to get everyone off the street, I don't care how you do it, just get them inside somewhere, and make them get into cellars and back rooms if possible. Sirius," she turned to the young man who watched her intently. "You need to get to the Hog's Head _as_ _fast_ _as you can_, and tell the bartender what is happening. He will let Dumbledore know. There's no time to get up to the castle ourselves." She grasped his shoulder with her left hand, gripping her wand tightly in the other and forced him to look at her. "I know you can be fast, Sirius, do _whatever you can_ to get there as soon as possible!"

There was such a knowing look in her eyes, that Sirius frowned a little but nodded and hurried off through the alleyway. She really hoped he'd understood her hints. Turning to the remaining two, she examined them briefly. They both seemed determined enough, and she knew they had to act as soon as possible, before the Death Eaters came in range of the children.

Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath and held it while counting to five. Then, she slowly breathed out, and got around the corner and out into the street.

There were six of them, still a little more than a hundred yards away. The crowd of villagers, tourists and students by now ran panicky over the street, trying to get themselves and their loved ones to safety. With a heavy heart, Hermione could see several people falling down, victims to the Death Eater's spells.

_Well, I've faced worse_, she tried to convince herself. She hastily pointed her wand at a shop door nearby. A simple _Wingardium Leviosa_ made it come loose from its hinges and fly through the air to her. She did this another two times, and created a sort of low barricade in a part of the street. It would of course not stop anything really sinister, but it was always better to have something to hide behind.

The Death Eaters had come into view now, and they were spotting her little creation. She heard cruel laughs and her blood felt like ice. Not wasting any time, she pointed her wand over the door she was crouching behind, aimed for the nearest figure and shouted "_Expelliarmus!"._

It worked. The simple spell took the Death Eater by surprise, and his wand flew some way away, and Hermione hurried to cry _"Accio wand!"_, so his friends wouldn't be able to recapture it for him. She caught the flying stick in her left hand and didn't hesitate to snap it in two. Some mistakes you only do once, and she was never going to let an enemy get a chance to get their weapons back again.

She snuck a look over to the door and saw confusion among the foes.

_One down,_ she thought, and tossed the pieces of the broken wand over her shelter, to let him know what had happened. She could hear furious shouts erupt from the one whose wand she'd just snapped. Good. Angry people made mistakes. There was no way the disarming spell could have worked twice anyway.

Stunning spells suddenly smashed into the wall which she hid behind, making it brake off in places, raining bits of wood over her. She hurriedly crawled to the other side, sending her own blaze of red light at the first one she spotted. She hit him in the chest and saw the masked Death Eater fall down.

_Two, then._

But that was it for the freebies. They wouldn't underestimate her any more. Wave after wave of spells hit her cover, and it wasn't until she heard cries of _'Stupefy!' _from two different sides of the street that she noticed her classmates coming to help her. Jenny, Lily and Lydia had all taken up positions inside some of the buildings, and she saw James creeping along the walls, trying to get nearer to her. No more people were left in the street behind her though, she noticed with relief.

As the oncoming spells spread out among the Gryffindors, she managed to get up, and ran for her life to get into real cover inside a niche in a doorway. Hermione thought of the few morning runs she'd managed to go through, and wished that she'd thought of it earlier, perhaps she could have been in better shape. But wishes never helped anyone, and her legs hurt under the speed she forced them to. Suddenly, she felt a slashing hex graze the side of her face, and the pain of it made her gasp. Blood gushed down her cheek, but she just wiped it off, ignoring the burning pain. Hermione sank down behind a stone wall, leaning her head back and tried to catch her breath. By now, the four remaining Death Eaters battled Jenny, Lily, James, and Sirius who had returned sometime during the last minutes. Lydia seemed to be grasping a broken arm.

Her friends were still some way away, and as she peeked out to examine the situation she saw Jenny, who was the one in the building next to her, being hit by a stunner. The red light of the spell burned itself into Hermiones retina. Everything moved in slow motion, her heart almost stopped.

Without thinking, she got up again and ran over the street, dodging the spells that whizzed by. As she burst through the doorway where Jenny lay. She could, to her utter relief, see that she'd be okay. Hermione breathed out hard, examining the situation going on in the street before her. The loud bangs and shouts and cries echoed between the buildings. Her friends were fighting a losing battle, for each spell they managed to cast, they were being pushed back a little more. The Death Eaters were toying with them, really, shouting awful taunts between the casted curses.

The whole ordeal had gone on for no more than ten minutes since she'd first burst out of The Three Broomsticks, and she had hoped Dumbledore or even Aurors would have shown up by now. But there was only her and a few brave, but extremely inexperienced, Gryffindors.

Hermione's brain ached, her frantic breath was making white puffs of smoke in the cold air.

Then she made up her mind. She closed her eyes and set out trying to calm herself. Thinking of nothing at all, she determinedly closed her mind, gaining full control. Occlumency wasn't easy, and under these circumstances almost impossible. But it wouldn't work without it, she knew. She then stooped to pick up Jenny's wand from her limp hand and got out into the street again.

"Hey!" Hermione shouted, still concentrating hard, doing everything she could to keep her mental shields up.

She got their attention all right, as the scene was curiously impressive. The petite witch with blood all over her face and frontside walked calmly into the street, alone facing the four Death Eaters. It was about 25 yards between them, and they all stopped to look at the crazy girl. Cruel laughter spread among them, ringing between the houses once more, and one of them shouted at her:

"Ah, little girl. Such foolish bravery! I'd love to play with you some more, we might not even kill you today…" The others chuckled.

His voice was disturbingly familiar. Antonin Dolohov. _Huh._ The scar on her chest itched.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. She could hear frantic yelling from her classmates behind her, but ignored it, working instead on keeping her mind calm, her thoughts focused.

Several seconds passed while she stood absolutely still, just observing the horribly impressive figures in front of her. Their black robes flowing, the masks showing nothing but the anguished mockery of what a face should look like. By now, they all had their wands pointed directly at her.

The air slowly filled with dancing snowflakes. Her feet were planted on the ground and she held a wand securely in each hand, waiting for the world to come crashing down.

And so it did.

Two of the Death Eaters reacted at the same time, Dolohov and one of the unknown men. They both sent variations of blazing curses at her, making the street flash with blue and purple lights.

Hermione, having expected this, acted instantly. She flicked Jenny's wand, casting a heavy protective shield nonverbally, while at the same time slicing through the air with her own wand, sending a blasting spell through the barrier she'd created, directed at all four enemies. The air rippled slightly around her as she still maintained the shield. She followed up directly with a powerful stunner, hitting one of the unnamed men in the chest. He went down hard, face first.

Confusion reigned among the Death Eaters, and they instantly retaliated with furious attacks, all which blasted off of her cover, ricocheting into the walls of the nearby buildings, making chunks of stone fall down.

Three men were still standing, and she managed to hold them all off with the help of her two-wand fighting. By now she was panting slightly and sweat drops rolled down her face. This was a result of the concentration she had to keep to maintaning the protective shield while at the same time firing spells out from behind of it. Suddenly Sirius Black appeared in the street by her side, James Potter at his heels, taking some of the load off of her and helping her with the attack. She almost groaned with relief, as her magic was draining fast and she was forced to drop the shield at last.

They battled furiously. Sirius and Hermione made a good team in alternating with defensive and offensive spells. Hermione for the most part nonverbally, as she still made used of both her wands, but both Sirius' and James' determined shouts were matching the Death Eaters' in intensity. They weren't excellent, but they both made up for it by being ruthless in their approach. Suddenly, Hermione did a double move, sending a flashing curse onwards with Jenny's wand, following this up with a frantically yelled: _"Incendio!"_. This enabled a nasty fire hex to penetrate Antonin Dolohovs defenses, setting his robes ablaze. Almost worn out of her senses with fatigue, she watched Antonin Dolohov frantically pat on his burning clothes.

And suddenly there were people coming in from everywhere.

A large group of Aurors swooped down on broomsticks, their wands out, sending curses at the Death Eaters from the air. Albus Dumbledore flew in among them, his facial expression thunderous. The Auror's dark red robes stood out against the snow where they set down, their loud yells filling the area. Hermione, who despite the welcome development of the situation hadn't taken her eyes off the combatants, made for one final slashing movement, making the two wands mirroring each other. The double curse was aimed at Dolohov, but as soon as he had noticed the oncoming backup, he Disapparated, leaving his remaining comrades to their own faiths. Hermione's curse smashed into the wall behind where Dolohov had been standing, and the loud bang drowned the cries from some of the Aurors who shouted out the means for anti-Apparition jinxes, as they were trying to keep the remaining three Death Eaters where they were.

Hermione sank down on the cold, snowy ground, dead tired, and watched the situation be taken care of. The still standing Death Eaters were captured within seconds of the Aurors' arrival, not being able to apparate like Dolohov had. She recognized Alastor Moody's barking voice as he shouted commands to his squad.

As Sirius got over to her, bloodied and bruised, he too got down on his knees and pulled her near him. She really didn't have the strength to protest, and just allowed herself to close her eyes and bury her face in the crook of his neck, enjoying the warmth of the boy who confused her so. Hermione could feel the still rapid pulse in his throat, but as for herself, she felt like being able to fall asleep where she sat. The adrenaline she'd been riding on was leaving her, and the concentration used to fight with two wands had drained her magic thoroughly. She wouldn't even manage to light her wand tip at this point.

Dumbledore was by his students' side instantly, calm and stoic now the threat was under control, all signs of the fury gone from his appearance.

"Are you all right?" he asked, peering down on them and at James who was standing some way away, concern shining through his bright blue eyes behind the half moon spectacles. "Are any of the students hurt?"

Hermione tried to tell him about her friends but could hardly raise her head, and only managed a croak.

Sirius held her near, answering his Headmaster: "I think she's just exhausted, Sir."

James had walked up to them too, a bruise forming on his forehead. He told Dumbledore what had happened during the fight.

"Jenny Forshyte was stunned, but Remus manage to wake her up, I saw it before I got out. And we think Lydia Parks broke her arm somehow."

He seemed a little dazed by the whole thing, but continued: "We got everyone from Hogwarts into safety. Everything just happened so fast! I don't think anyone really knew how to react, except Granger here…" James stared at the girl in Sirius' arms, "if she hadn't held them back, who knows how many more they'd gotten to."

Dumbledore nodded, satisfied that his students were safe, but Sirius asked in a sharp voice: "Why the brooms? Couldn't you just have Apparated in? Or used the floo in any of the houses?" His disapproval was evident and Dumbledore noticed it.

"A very perceptive point, Mister Black." His smile had an unusually cold edge to it. "When I was told about the attack, I instantly tried both options, but the Death Eaters had set up anti-Apparation jinxes all over the whole area. The one man that got away must have been the one who cast the spells, as he apparently was able to undo them before Disapparating himself. As for the floo…"

Dumbledore sighed.

"It seems like the whole floo-system was taken down just before the attack, possibly by someone inside the Ministry itself."

"What? Infiltrators at the Ministry?" James sounded horrified. "Traitors?"

"Mister Potter, you must understand that we are entering a state of war. These are _not_ random attacks."

Hermione tried to move from Sirius' side, but was unable to. Dumbledore instantly knelt down, with the agility of a much younger man. "How are you feeling?" He sounded troubled.

"Magic… spent," she whispered. "Just need… to rest."

The Aurors had finished rounding up the remaining Death Eaters. They got four of the six, seeing as Dolohov got away, and the one who's wand Hermione had snapped had disappeared, probably using an emergency portkey. The street was once more full of people, healers taking care of the injured, teachers of Hogwarts trying to get a head count on the students.

Dumbledore turned to Sirius. "Mister Black, I have to see to the students still here in Hogsmeade, could you escort miss Granger to the hospital wing?"

"Of course, Sir." Sirius answered.

"Use one of the carriages at the station, and make sure to have Madam Pomfrey do a check up on you too."

"Yes, Sir." He tossed his head, trying to get his messed up hair out his eyes before standing up, Hermione still leaning in his arms. He easily picked her up from the ground.

Sirius turned to James, who seemed restless and kept looking over his shoulder. "Go check up on the girls, why don't you?"

James grimaced slightly, pulling his hand through his hair.

"Lily's fine, Prongs," Sirius assured him, as he started to walk towards Hogsmeade Station.

James smiled gratefully at his friend, and then they went their different ways.

* * *

The next time Hermione woke up, things were disturbingly familiar. She was laying in a bed in Hogwarts' hospital ward. The bluish grey dusk that could be seen through the windows of the infirmary told her that it was late in the afternoon, and when she turned her head, she found Albus Dumbledore seated in a chair by her bed. She blinked slowly, trying to get her bearings.

"What year is it?" Hermione asked, her voice a little raspy.

Dumbledore answered her: "Still 1976, I'm afraid."

Hermione gave a short, dry laugh. "No, that's actually good." She sat up, reaching for the glass of water on the side table. "Means I still have time." She took a sip and then leaned back against the headboard.

Dumbledore pierced her with his blue eyes, but there was fondness in them. "I'm impressed, Hermione, by the way you handled the situation yesterday." He produced a vial of a pale pink potion and held it out for her to take.

"I've slept through the whole day?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. She took the potion and swallowed it without hesitation, recognizing the strengthening remedy when she saw it.

"It's Sunday evening. And yes, I rather hope you did, as your magic levels were all but entirely empty. You took on six Death Eaters by yourself."

"Is… is everyone okay?" She was suddenly awake, whether it was courtesy of the potion or of the sudden remembrance of her friends, she didn't know.

"Your friends are fine, Hermione. They have all been wanting to visit you, but Poppy told them to leave you alone until you woke by your own accord." His voice was calm. "Four people gave their lives in the attack, all of them visiting Hogsmeade temporarily. No students were hurt, except for Miss Parks whose arm needed mending, and Miss Forshyte who felt just fine after being taken care of by Mister Lupin."

Hermione breathed out, relieved that no one she knew was seriously injured.

"I wish I could have saved them all, though," she said in a low voice, picking at her duvet cover.

"Hermione, there lies no sense in blaming yourself for this. I know you are intelligent enough to recognize that." He seemed satisfied when she caught his gaze and nodded.

"I'd like to know more about that wand use of yours, though," he continued. "We could all see some rather impressive display from the air."

Hermione looked up. The Headmaster's eyes twinkled, and she couldn't help but laugh a little. It was so like him to take an interest in unknown magic, and she knew he didn't came by it a lot.

"Occlumency," she answered with a smirk.

Dumbledore almost sighed. "Of course…" He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, Hermione could see him having worked it all out. She smiled from her position in the bed.

"You have obviously figured out how to make use of the shielded parts of your mind, using them simultaneously with your active front part and thus being able to connect each sector to its own wand. And this makes it possible to cast and uphold different spells at the same time." He shook his head. "Ingenious!"

"Well, it took a bloody lot of practice – excuse my lingo, Sir – and it takes a heavy toll on your magic. As seen here." She grimaced and pointed at herself and the room in general. "Of course, you need to master the art of Occlumency before even trying it. And it is a great advantage if the second wand is your own and not someone else's. I used to have two of my own, but I lost one of them at… at the end.

"I'm a little rusty overall," she continued. "Usually I would be able to go a lot longer. I guess it's time to start some real practises again."

"I agree," he said sincerely. "And I think we should consider inviting some of your friends to this too."

Hermione looked relieved. "I was about to suggest that. Knowing them, they won't ever back down, and if things like this keep happening, it's best for everyone to be prepared."

"We'll find a way to ready them all in good time. But for now…" Dumbledore stood up. "Are you feeling well enough to join me? We have called another meeting later tonight."

"The Order?" Hermione's voice was sharp and low, and when Dumbledore nodded, she instantly climbed out of bed.

She donned her robes that had been laid out beside the bed and hurried after Dumbledore into the dark corridor. They went up to through deserted hallways to his office, where Minerva McGonagall was waiting for them. As soon as they both had entered, Minerva got up from behind Dumbledore's desk, strode across the room and almost flung herself at Hermione, giving her a big hug. Hermione was speechless. Never before had she recieved such affection from her strict Head of House, not even at the end of the second war, when the Order members were all the families anyone could speak of having anymore.

Now, Minerva held Hermione at arms length, staring at her with a hard expression. Hermione didn't dare to breathe.

"That was foolish in extreme, Miss Granger!" The steely look didn't change, but so did her tone of voice. "But I'm _very_ proud of you. You are a Gryffindor to the very bones, I'd say."

The Scottish woman gave her an appreciative look and motioned for them to sit down in the armchairs by the fireplace. Dumbledore had produced his trusted tea tray, and smiled happily at his company. Hermione sat down and took a longed after sip of the tea. She still felt some fatigue, but not nearly as bad as before.

"I have to admit, I haven't been very confident in you, Miss Granger," Minerva continued, and Hermione looked up at her, wondering were this would be going. Neither Hermione nor Dumbledore had told anyone of Hermione's real origins, and it was only to be expected that people would be suspicious. The first Order meeting was proof enough of that.

"Albus," she glanced at her colleague, who was sampling biscuits with apparent delight, "hasen't told me everything about you it seems. I know he's including you in the resistance, but up until now I thought of it as a way for you to deal with the loss of your family. I have to say I disapproaved when Albus asked me to meddle with those detentions of yours, but I'm starting to think I was wrong. There's something else, isn't there?"

Dumbledore swallowed the last of his ginger newt and took a long look at the two witches present in his office. The fire crackled merrily and a feeling of calm and peace fell all over the room. Turning to Hermione, he asked:

"Hermione, do you trust Minerva?"

"With my life." Her sharp answer came so quickly that it took the older woman by surprise, and she coughed over her tea cup. Hermione glanced over at her professor's baffled expression and understood where Dumbledore was going with this. "Always have, Sir, always will."

"Yes." His eyes twinkled. "Well, I think it's about time we include her in our… situation. There are things to be gained from Minerva's knowledge about it all. What do you say?"

_How could the man stand being so bloody cheerful all the time?_ Hermione thought, a little bemused.

She stared at the pair for a couple of seconds, then fell backwards into her armchair, almost unable to withold a laugh. "Where to start?"

Minerva McGonagall wasn't one to ask silly questions, and as she already knew there were more to Hermione than met the eye, she just said: "Start from the top, Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled slightly. "That's not as easy as you might think, Professor." She sat silent for a moment, and then she looked up again. "Truth is, I've attended Hogwarts since I was eleven years old. I probably know every nook and cranny of this castle better than anyone, certain Gryffindor boys included, and I know you, Professor, better than you can imagine."

If Minerva was skeptical about the statements, she didn't show it. Instead, she went for the first passable explanation. "I've never seen you before the start of the school year. This could be explained by the use of Polyjuice Potion of course. In that case, are you even a sixteen year old student, or someone else entirely?" She mused over these facts for a second, but before Hermione could respond, she stopped herself. "You're bright enough to be much older. But no… I doesn't fit, does it. Please go on… Miss Granger." She pronounced Hermione's name with a slight emphasis, not missed by the young girl.

"That is my real name. And yes, I'm sixteen, and informally probably some more, due to the use of a time turner in my third year."

"A timeturner? What would a student do with one of those?"

Hermione smiled up at Dumbledore who seemed to enjoy his colleague's confusion. "You gave it to me, Professor, to help me complete all my courses." But now she saw McGonagall's famous temper rising, and realized it was time to go for the big one. She sighed.

"Professor, I started my education at Hogwarts in 1990. I was sorted into Gryffindor – with yourself as my Head of House – and got my education all through fifth year. A bit into my sixth, Voldemort had gained enough power to completely take control over Britain, muggles and wizards alike. The last thing I did in the 90's was to fight along the few remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix, at the ruins of Hogwarts."

Minerva McGonagall took all this in, her eyes growing large in her face.

"We lost," concluded Hermione.

Silence filled the room. Minerva slowly looked between the young girl and her trusted old friend. She tilted her head in Hermione's direction, but kept her eyes on Dumbledore.

"How?" she asked.

Dumbledore smiled. "It was my working, apparently. I've seen the memory myself. Some sort of advanced spell, I can't even imagine how I came up with it."

Hermione watched them, in disbelief. "You're accepting this, just like that?"

"Of course. I'd know in a second if Albus were lying, just as I knew your story wasn't all there was to you."

_Such trust_, Hermione thought.

"But Albus, time isn't to be meddled with!" Minerva's tone was sharp. "Her being here will mess up a whole lot of things, won't it? Will she be able to go back?"

Dumbledore's expression grew serious, but Hermione got to the point before him. "There isn't anything to go back to." Her cinnamon eyes blazed. "It's not just that we lost the war, it's the fact of the whole world going under. Once Voldemort starts to expand outside of Britain, the muggles will panic and destroy each other, not knowing where else to put the blame for their sufferings."

"Twenty years into the future…" Minerva whispered, almost to herself. "But Albus, why is she even here?"

Dumbledore seemed pleased with his deputy's handling of these news. "Hermione has knowledge that could help us end all this madness before it ever breaks out completely. It seems I sent us a powerful weapon in her. I promise to tell you the whole story some other time, but now we need to get going. I want you to join us tonight, Minerva. I have informed Filius of our short absence, and he will look after the school while we're away."

"Has Professor Flitwick agreed to join us then?" asked Hermione. Earlier, she had produced a long list of names of persons she'd deemed suitable to help them in their cause. Many of the Order members she'd known from the second wizarding war were around in this time too, and she really thought they could be of great use. The bigger their numbers, the better. She had hoped Dumbledore would be hearing from Kingsley Shacklebolt anytime soon, but he was apparently abroad, as was Hagrid. Gods, she missed Hagrid.

"Indeed he has," Dumbledore confirmed, as he stood up and performed the concealment charms that would allow them to walk out unnoticed from spying eyes. As the three of them showed up as nothing more than ripples in the air, they then made their way to the mirror on the fourth floor, and continued down to Hogsmeade and the Hog's Head.

Hermione never paused to remember that their names still would register on the piece of parchment that showed the school's inhabitants to its owners. It now happened that three pair of eyes interestedly watched the tiny dots that disappeared through the secret passageway out of the school, and when the marauders looked up at each other, they all shared the same determined expressions.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Author's note:**

**1.** I feel like a clutz, but a couple of days ago when I edited some of the earlier chapters of this story, I managed to mess up the whole beginning. I therefore took the opportunity to clean up the whole text and assemble the early, too-short chapters into longer text segments.

Nothing has changed but for the number of chapters.

**2.** Beta work by Beatlechicksteph, I owe her soo much!

**Chapter ****10**

The first thing to happen when they entered the room on top of the scruffy bar was a wand being pointed straight at Hermione's face. She registered a voice shouting _"Incarcerous!"_, and could see heavy ropes flying at her from the other side of the room. Without thinking, she drew her own wand and deflected the oncoming curse, turning the ropes into black, gritty smoke that filled the air. The shock of the attack took her so by surprise that her heart threatened to burst in her chest.

"_What-the-hell?"_ she hissed furiously as the smoke trailed away, aiming her wand directly at Moody, who stood by the other wall giving her a dark look. He took a step closer to her, his wand still out.

"Alastor!" shouted Minerva McGonagall horrified. Several others in the room had also cried out in surprise and was now curiously observing the scene in front of them.

Alastor Moody didn't answer, but kept watching Hermione with a furrowed brow. After a few moments glaring between the two, he lowered his arm and straightened his back.

"Just testing your reflexes, girl!" he growled. "Wanted to see if that display you put up for show yesterday was only a fluke."

Hermione's hair was almost crackling due to the tension. She gritted her teeth, feeling her pulse in her head. But she knew Moody. He had been even more paranoid in his later years, and she knew he was only looking out for the best of the organization. She looked deep into his eyes – still feeling oddly uncomfortable with the lack of the magical one – and then nodded courtly, putting her wand away.

"Well then, Dumbledore," Moody said, seating himself at the big table that hadn't been there the last time. "I believe we might have underestimated your new ward. I daresay she could give quite a few of us a run for our money."

Dumbledore beamed at his old friend. "Right so, Alastor. It is always such a useful lesson to remember, appearances aren't always what they seem."

He clapped his hands together, motioning for the people present to take a seat. Not everyone who had been there for the first meeting had been able to attend this time, but there were also a few new faces. Hermione was pleased to see both Hestia Jones and Elphias Doge present. As they both had positions at the ministry, this would work well in the Order's favor.

Dumbledore spoke: "As you all know by now, yesterday's attack on Hogsmeade didn't actually go down as the they had hoped. The fact that the whole thing ended in the imprisonment of four Death Eaters is probably to be considered a great victory for our side, despite the unfortunate injured and killed bystanders. If they had been allowed to get even deeper into the village, no one knows how many more would have been hurt."

Hermione felt the other's eyes on her, but sat quietly and waited for Dumbledore to continue.

"Do we know what they were after?" asked Fabian Prewett. He'd come without his brother this time.

"I think we can confirm this one quite easily, I'm afraid. We already know Tom is – for want of a better word – _collecting_ poeple, persons with certain talents. We have recieved information that tells us that Hogwarts' Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn is likely to be on the Death Eaters' list."

There were nods around the table, and confirming murmurs between the Order members. Horace Slughorn's competence with potions was well known among the wizarding society, and it wasn't hard to imagine why Voldemort would want him in his ranks.

"I had of course taken certain precautions to see to it that Horace would stay safely in the castle during this weekend, but as seen, it didn't go as I planned."

"I for one, would like to know where old Slughorn's loyalties lay," said Caradoc Dearborn gruffly, causing stirs of agreement among the others.

"Yes," Dumbledore sighed a little. "We are in a bit of trouble with this one. Horace is indeed the acting Head of Slytherin. The position holds, in itself, a legacy that would have anyone doubt his true intentions, but he is – to my experiences – also too much of a Slytherin to want to sacrifice himself for any dark lord. Horace looks after Horace's skin, and he does it well."

"It would be a bad day if You-Know-Who got his hands on the country's greatest Potion's Master. But I take it it's no good telling him that You-Know-Who is trying to get hold of him, then?" said Caradoc.

"I fear a statement like that would make him all too aware that a group like this has been formed," Dumbledore said. "And I don't think he would ever swear loyalty to the Order either. Bit of a pickle, this," he mused.

"This attack was planned," Fabian added. "Someone saw to it that Slughorn would be down in the village, away from the castle's protections. Are we sure about the teachers, Dumbledore?"

Hermione decided to step in.

"I wouldn't worry about the staff," she said, and catching McGonagall's eyes, she knew the woman agreed with her. Dumbledore and McGonagall had earlier gone through all the teaching staff thoroughly. "Not when we know for a fact that there are children of Death Eaters walking the hallways."

"Students you mean?" said Moody, and she felt his eyes almost burying themselves in her head when she turned to look at him. _He's trying to read my mind! _she realized with a pang. Her mind's walls were already up of course, and she watched him frown. _Still suspicious then, Moody,_ she thought with an inward smirk. _Good for you._

Out loud, she said. "Yes. I bet he has realized they are getting into places he can't. He won't send in their parents during the school year, for fear that Dumbledore will suspect something. It would look all too suspicious to have them visiting during the term."

"Are we really to believe he'll be using kids? I find that most unlikely," said Marlene McKinnan, frowning.

"This is war," Hermione retorted, a cold edge to her voice. "Of course we can't rule it out just because it seems immoral to _us_."

Unexpectedly, Moody came to her aid. "Miss Granger is right." He glanced at her and she felt bemused by the fact that he was taking her side. "What I'd like to know," he continued "is if we have any intelligence as to who these students might be?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy really wanted to smash his head into his own desk. Being Head Boy meant having his own room, and thus made it possible for him to recieve letters not meant for others to see, at all hours. The owl that just arrived for him was a black familiar, who didn't spare him a look after having dropped the envelope off. It was his father's bird, of course, and when he'd read the short message, he almost wanted to jump out the window and strangle it, just so it wouldn't be able to disturb him any more.

The gist of the letter was that Abraxas Malfoy was very pleased with the way Lucius had managed to get Horace Slughorn to head out of the castle unprotected. The Dark Lord had been furious by the fact that four of his Death Eaters had been arrested, but no blame had been directed at the Malfoys who all in all had played their parts in an expected way, so 'all was well'. _Children's power plays…,_ Lucius thought, quite disgusted with the whole thing.

Lucius had done what was asked of him, and done it well, without his Head of House ever suspecting something being amiss. Ever since the first attacks started a couple of weeks ago, Dumbledore had forbidden any staff members to go off grounds unless it was as an organized event. Slughorn, who usually enjoyed his many trips down to the bars and stores in Hogsmeade, had been ever so disappointed to realize that a committee of Ministry officials would be coming to Hogwarts to ask his advice about several upcoming decrees, as this was the same Saturday that was a scheduled Hogsmeade weekend.

Once Lucius had suggested that Slughorn might try using one of his many famous contacts to get out of the Ministry meeting, the man had done the rest of the work himself.

And now he had to come up with something new. _Imbeciles!_ Not even being able to get passed some chit of a girl and her sidekicks. As most people had been hiding during the fighting, and weren't at all aware of how they'd been saved by the fucking Gryffindor princess, there wasn't much talk about her among the students. But Lucius had watched it all from up the hill.

He had to do something about her.

And he knew exactly how.

* * *

The Order meeting had gone on for hours. Plans had been made, forms had been drawn up and people's positions had been moved about. Both Hermione and Dumbledore had earlier agreed to the fact that there still wasn't time to spill the beans about the horcruxes just yet. But they all seemed to grow as a group and the collected skills and dexterities among the members were put out in the light for inspection. It was obvious that actual figthing skills was something that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.

When Hermione at last crept along the dark passageway and out into the corridors of the school, it was well after midnight. She felt exhausted, having given a demonstration of the principles of two-wand fighting for Moody. His knowledge of Occlumency made it possible to describe to him what she had been doing during the Hogsmeade attack, and she felt somewhat flustered when the experienced Auror actually showed genuine interest, even lending her his wand. It seemed that once she'd gained his trust, he was prepared to reluctantly give her a chance. But it had also made her dead tired again, using her Occlumency so soon after having emptied her magic levels completely. Those training sessions couldn't start soon enough if she had something to say about it.

The Fat Lady wasn't at all happy to be woken at such a time, but the portrait grudgingly swung forward, letting Hermione into the dark Gryffindor common room. She set straight out for the stairs up to the dormitories, but didn't realize until she was halfway through the circular room, that it wasn't as empty as she'd thought at first glance. In the sofa nearest the big fireplace, Sirius Black lounged. He had put his feet up on the low table and had his hands in the front pockets of the muggle jeans he wore. There was an unreadable look on his face.

Hermione's stomach made a flip when she noticed him. She hesitantly stopped and bit her lip, looking at him.

"Hi," she said.

Sirius didn't answer. His dark eyes bore into her's with such an intensity that she could have sworn he'd tried to read her thoughts, if it wasn't for the fact that she knew that he… well… _couldn't_.

She hesitantly started towards him, crossing between the furniture and went to sit down beside him on the sofa. Sirius tilted his head a little her way, and then gave her a small smile of sorts.

"I think we need to talk," he said, seriously.

Hermione nodded and sighed. She looked down at her hands, wondering how the bloody hell she could get out of this one. Problem was, she actually _didn't want to_. Part of her wanted to tell Sirius everything, every little detail of a future she did all in her power to change. She knew he was more than trustworthy, that he would go through fire and lay down his life for his friends, but the problem was still Peter. Hermione had no idea what to do with him, and as he was a part of the tight knit group of boys, they wouldn't exclude him from this greatest of secrets.

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly. "You've been out for more than a day. Pomfrey just told us your body needed sleep."

"I'm fine, just a little spent" she said and looked up, giving him a small smile.

"Well then… Care to tell me what all that was about? You acted like you've done it tons of times before."

Hermione grimaced. "You saw my scar. I've fought people before."

"But this was madness, going up against them all by yourself!"

"Yeah…" she admitted. "But the alternative would have been worse."

They sat in silence for a while. A few embers still glowed among the black coals in the grate, giving every outline in the room a slight tint of darkest red. Hermione watched the gloomy reflections dance in Sirius' black hair. It fell in his eyes as he sat looking down at his propped up feet, and strangely enough, she wanted to reach out and touch it, sweep it aside. She shook her head slightly to get a hold of herself.

Sirius turned his head and glanced at her. "There's something else," he said.

Now there was a hint of danger in his silken voice. Hermione shivered.

"You told me to go… _fast_." It wasn't a question. He'd already figured out that she knew about his animagus abilities. He didn't know how, but that wasn't the most important point here. She could see that he was trying to work out if she knew about the others too, without giving away too much if she didn't. It almost broke her heart seeing the aura of fierce loyalty surrounding him where he sat, so protective of his friends.

"Yes," she admitted, and added in a low voice: "Four legs usually run faster than two."

Silence.

Then: "How?"

_He surely __doesn't waste words_, she thought, grimacing inwardly.

"I have eyes," she said, pulling her feet up under her and changing to a more comfortable position. She played with a length of her hair, wondering how much to give away.

"I recognize the signs."

He didn't answer this, but kept watching her. It was like a game of chess. Neither of them wanted to tell too much without getting to know how much the other one already knew, or at least guessed at.

The fire crackled and a blackened log momentarily burst into flames, flashing the room in hues of orange and red, then died down again, letting the darkness back once more.

Hermione knew he wasn't satisfied with her answer, and she felt a little troubled as she chew her lower lip. She tilted her head down, hiding her face behind the curtains of her hair, trying to think. None of this was easy.

"I…," she began, and was suddenly startled as she felt his fingers on her cheek. She hastily looked up and blushed as he tucked her hair in behind her ear.

"We can't talk properly if I can't see you," he said in a low voice.

Hermione's mouth felt dry. She hadn't really noticed how close they sat, and how intimate the situation felt with only them in the usually so crowded room.

She swallowed and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius. There are things I wish I could tell you, more than anything, but it's just not possible."

To her dismay, she felt her voice break a little at the end. She was so bloody tired of crying, but she also felt exhausted. Her body made all the decisions as to how to behave right now.

Sirius didn't say anything. Hermione was glad he didn't shout, or rave madly about it all, but the silences were about as stressful. She knew too well he was an impulsive hot-head, but he was also very intelligent when he allowed for it to shine through his usually so arrogant posture.

And he just didn't let things go.

"There's more," he continued, mercilessly. Hermione could sense his thoughts working behind his eyes, as he contemplated for a second how to come out with his next point.

"Something's up, isn't it? With Dumbledore, and McGonagall. All three of you left the school earlier, and didn't come back until just now."

This confused Hermione for a second, as they all had been cloaked the whole time. Then she got it.

_The map._

The stupid, bloody map that didn't care that people were trying to do things unseen, in private. She resisted throwing an irritated glare his way, and instead breathed out hard. Oh, how she wanted to own up to the fact the she knew all about their stupid spy tool and call him on it.

_No use denying it, though_. Especially since he'd just caught her coming in so late.

"I can't tell you," she insisted, looking him straight in the eyes. But for good measure, she decide to pressure him a little. She narrowed her eyes, and said: "But how did you know? No one should have been able to see us."

Sirius gave her a long look that clearly stated 'you have your secrets, I have mine', and then unexpectedly smirked a little.

"It seems like we've reached an impasse," he said with almost a laugh and then leaned back, streching his arms out.

"Seems so," Hermione agreed, a little bitterly.

All curled up, she rested the side of her head against the back of the sofa, yawning. Her brain felt like mush and she wondered if she'd make it up to her bed.

Sirius, still smirking said: "You are a total mystery, love."

And there was the blushing again. Hermione was glad for the darkness in the room, especially when Sirius turned her way and then slowly reached out and took her left hand in both of his. Light as a feather, he stroke her palm, played with her fingers. It was pure pleasure, the touch of his skin against her's, and she almost sighed with contentment. She couldn't help but close her eyes where she sat, and just feel relaxed and safe.

Sirius said something.

Hermione fought against heavy eyelids, mumbling a raspy: "What?"

He chuckled. "You're sleeping."

"Am not," she muttered, but was clearly out of it.

"Stubborn witch," Sirius retorted amusedly.

He sat up a little, pondering what to do. The Marauders' one big failure was the fact that they'd never managed to get pass the charm that prevented boys from entering the stairs up to the girl's dormitory, so he couldn't carry her up. But he also didn't want to leave her all alone down here. He took one long look at the tired girl and then got up to retrieve a large wool blanket from a nearby armchair. When he'd seated himself once more, he threw the blanket over both of them and streched out his legs on top of the low table in front of the sofa, making himself comfortable.

_Who ever said he wasn't a gentleman?_

* * *

Hermione woke at dawn. She couldn't remember when she last had the luxury to sleep in, but her inner clock clearly didn't want her to miss her Monday morning classes. As she regained most of her conciousness, she became aware of someone beside her, and that she was lying on that someone's shoulder.

_Oh… _

_Sirius._

She blinked slowly, trying to get her bearings. He had both his arms around her, holding her near him. Sirius was apparently deeply asleep, and Hermione, in her confused state, felt a whole bunch of ambivalent feelings stirring.

This was nice, very nice.

_Bad idea…_

But he was warm and safe and it felt so natural resting in his arms.

_And his face was just inches from her's…_

She didn't want to move from his embrace. Not really remembering why they were still down in the common room, she stayed where she was for the moment. She tried her best to get her head on straight, while not waking him up.

But he stirred, and then she heard a low: "Good morning." Sirius' voice was rough with sleepiness, and she could see him blinking slowly. Hermione's heart leapt when he turned his head a little to watch her. If he was surprised by their closeness, he didn't show it. She marvelled at the serene smile he gave her. Unexpectedly, he then hugged her tighter to him for a moment, burying his face in her hair.

"I remember why we usually prefer beds for sleeping," he mumbled into her soft locks, trying to stifle a yawn. Then he released her from his arms, sat up and started to strech out his stiff legs.

Hermione sat up too, not really knowing what to say.

"I fell asleep down here?" she asked, a bit dishevelled.

"That you did," said Sirius.

"And you stayed?"

"That I did," he answered, grinning, massaging his neck.

Hermione thought she'd never seen a more adorable version of Sirius Black, in a wrinkly shirt and messy hair. She couldn't help but smile a little shyly.

"Thank you," she said.

"Didn't know you would latch yourself onto me like that during the night, though," he teased, enjoying the embarrassed blush he got out of it.

Sirius smiled. In truth, he hadn't noticed them snuggling together in their sleep, but didn't mind the least to wake up with Hermione in his arms. The girl was something else. There and then, he decided to not settle for a 'no' from her in the future, wondering why she was so set upon keeping him at a distance when at the same time he could sense her attraction to him. A mystery all over, this one.

Hermione got up and checked her watch. She threw him a look over her shoulder. "There's still time for another hour of sleep before breakfast," she said as she started towards the stairs.

"Great idea," Sirius retorted, also getting up. "Your bed or mine?" He gave her such an exaggeratedly smouldering look that Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"It's too early for clever comebacks," she said. "See you later, Sirius."

He watched her disappear up the stairs to the girls' dormitories and felt sure he would do his best to learn her secrets.

* * *

Hermione had expected to be treated with reluctance by the marauder boys during the next couple of days, due to her handling of the whole fighting incident, but nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. This made her wonder what Sirius had told them about their talk that night. She suspected he at least had kept quiet about them falling asleep in the common room, as none of the others gave the two of them a hard time about it.

_Should make things easier. Or something. _

None of them had discussed what had happened, and she tried avoiding him when possible. Hermione still felt flustered, though, when thinking back to the warmth of his skin, and how he had hugged her so tightly before letting go._ He really was something else… _

The attack on Hogsmeade had caused a surge of new security matters at Hogwarts, and no one was even allowed to go out into the grounds anymore, if it wasn't to attend classes in the greenhouses. In truth, this didn't seem like such a problem for most students, since the snow that had begun to fall during that eventful Saturday, never really stopped. By Thursday next, mid-November had turned into full blown winter, and the castle corridors were freezingly cold. Many took it upon them to wear scarves and knitted hats between classes and during meals, and it was really only warm enough in each of the houses own common rooms.

This particular morning had started like so many others; breakfast, grumbling complaints about the cold, and owl post. Since the attack, the amount of mail seemed to have tripled, as worried parents wrote to their children daily, urging them to keep safe.

Warming her hands on a cup of hot tea, Hermione silently watched as the huge amount of letters found their respective owners. Lily Evans had at first hoped that her parents, muggles as they were, wouldn't have found out about the horrible incident. But it had been clear that they too had read the Daily Prophet, as Lily was showered with letters from home during the days that followed.

"I don't know what they expect me to do," she complained, skimming through her mail. "It's not as if I'm going to go out there screaming 'Hey, here I am, come and get me', right?"

At this outburst, both Lydia and Jenny glanced at Hermione who sat opposite them. The fact that she had done almost exactly that, was something they'd all tried to discuss with her, but just as during the talk with Sirius, Hermione only told them she didn't want to and couldn't talk any more about herself, and that was that.

She was relieved when she found out that almost no others were aware of their, and especially _her_, involvment in the capture of the Death Eaters. Remus and – and this had surprised her – Peter, had done their best to get people to stay put and hide, running between several shops and cafés, seeing to it. And Alastor Moody had been able to keep the lid on all the details concerning the arrests, so the papers hadn't published any other version than that which said the Aurors had done all the work.

Hermione didn't mind at all. She really could do without the attention.

Back at the breakfast table, Hermione watched Sirius, as he sat among his closest friends. He was getting targeted by an owl too, and she found this a little strange. Mrs. Black wasn't one for sentiments, she knew, and she'd never seen him get any other mail since the school had started. Hermione had a sudden feeling of almost absurd dread, as she watched Sirius scanning through his letter, unknowingly moving his lips as he read the words.

He crumpled up the piece of paper and dropped it on the table.

_Oh no._

Sirius Black had turned white in the face and anger blazed from his dark eyes as he slowly got up. The words he muttered through gritted teeth turned into furious shouts in a matter of seconds.

"_I can't believe.. Fucking, stupid old she-beast! The bloody bint should hang!"_

His raving yells rang across the Gryffindor table, and the other marauders seemed as confused as everyone else.

"Padfoot, what's the matter?"

"Hey, Siri, where are you going?"

Concern could be heard in their voices, and James hurriedly picked up the dropped letter, smoothed it out and read through the first few sentences.

"Oh, no!" he whispered to Remus and Peter. "We have to stop him!" James got up and actually climbed over the table, in a hurry to get to his friend.

Sirius had drawn his wand, and was purposefully heading towards the Slytherin table on the opposite side of the Great Hall. He had made it half way when James caught up with him, taking a firm grip on his arm. By now, almost every eye in the room were upon the two boys, and some of the teachers had started to take a notice too. Several Slytherins who'd sensed trouble, stood up from the breakfast table with their wands drawn, watching the scene intently.

Sirius tried to shake off his friend, looking absolutely mad with rage. Hermione weren't able to catch James' frantic whispers, but she and everyone else in the hall, could clearly hear Sirius' answer.

"I am bloody well going to kill him!" he yelled. "Snotty bastard not knowing what's best for him…"

His next words were silenced by Remus' firm hand over his mouth. Even with the werewolf's added strength, the two boys had a hard time containing their friend. Just as they slowly began dragging him backwards towards the doors, he managed one last outburst of absolute fury.

It was probably lucky that Remus had taken Sirius' wand from him, because the young, handsome, dark haired Slytherin who'd watched his brother's actions without moving an eyebrow, actually paled slightly at the words directed to him.

"_Regulus, you better not cross me ever again! I don't want anything to do with you, nor with the rest of the fucking Black family! Go tell your…"_

The tall oak doors slamming shut drowned the rest of his words, leaving the students in the Great Hall in stunned silence.

* * *

**Author's End Note:** Aw, a snuggly wuggly moment like that one, and no kissing? Am I that evil? Apparently so…


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Author's Note:** Beta work by Beatlechicksteph, that awesome saviour of mine!

**Chapter 11**

The speed of the oncoming wind made stray tears leak from his eyes, and almost instantly they froze at his temples. Sirius had taken flight without either goggles or gloves, but he didn't care, not now. His pulse was still racing from the rage he'd felt after reading the letter from his mother. The cold air whizzed around him as he gained height, leaving the ground far below him.

_Regulus, oh Regulus. You stupid, bloody idiot! _Sirius' blood boiled when he thought of his brother's current idiocy.

Walburga Black, the mother of Sirius and Regulus had always mourned the fact that her oldest son had wound up as a disgrace to the family. To have a son who possessed the character traits that defined a Gryffindor was a huge blow to the woman who put purity of blood above all else. Breaking the tradition that usually put all the Blacks into Slytherin House had also broken the family apart. Sirius' relationship with his mother had thus become a turbulent one, as he – to use _her_ words – 'never even had the decency to feel ashamed'. He had always despised the views she and her likes sought to maintain, and had fought her every step of the way. The holidays, when he left school and went home, were usually marked by huge rows and constant arguing.

_But this had gone too far…_

Sirius slowed to a halt and levelled his broom in the air. Seconds after, the outline of James Potter could be seen between the curtains of the falling snow that surrounded them.

As he caught up with Sirius, James shouted over the wind: "You bloody fool! We need to get back before anyone spots us! We're not allowed out _at all_, remember?"

Sirius glared at his friend with dark eyes, his hair whipping in his face. But the snow and the cold had taken away the edge of his anger, so he nodded at James, and together they descended towards the ground.

"Where's Moony and Wormtail?" asked Sirius the moment they could speak without having the wind drowning their voices any more. They had sat down close to the castle wall, so as to not stand out too much against the snow.

James got off his broom and threw it on the ground. He turned around and unexpectantly pushed his mate hard on the chest. Sirius fell backwards with a thud, his eyes growing big with surprise.

"You're a bloody git, Sirius!" James snapped. "Don't ever go off like that again!" He clenched his fists in a frustrated sort of way, throwing him a dirty look.

Sirius said nothing. He stayed down on the snowy ground, feeling both irritated and a tad touched at the same time. James didn't lose his temper easily, and the rows they'd had between them during the years could probably be counted on one hand. It was usually him who had the short fuse, blasting off at times.

Having said his things, James breathed out and extended a hand to his fallen friend. When Sirius took it with an apologetic "Sorry, mate.", he was rewarded with a small smile.

"No matter. I get why you blew up, I really do."

He picked up his broom and started walking along the wall, Sirius following.

James turned back over his shoulder, saying:

"When you strided out and took off towards the broom sheds, Moony said something about him keeping guard and diverting attention if any of the teachers were to look for us."

"And that's why he's the Prefect, and none of us are," Sirius said, feeling grateful. "That guy can think faster than anyone I know. Was Peter with him?"

James shook his head. "No."

He paused, and then continued: "Come to think of it, hasn't he been disappearing a little more than usual, lately?"

Sirius thought this over. It was true, Peter didn't hang around them nearly as much as he used to. The whole thing was odd, now that James had mentioned it.

"Perhaps he has a girlfriend he doesn't want us to know about?" said Sirius shrugging.

The two boys headed towards the same secret passageway Hermione had made use of the first time they had spotted her sneaking out. Sirius still wondered how she'd known about it, and suddenly felt that irritated feeling flaming up again.

_That girl…_

Sirius really didn't know what to think of her. She had been avoiding him since the incident when they woke up next to each other, but there was more to it.

"Hey, Prongs," he began in a low voice as they pushed the right stone blocks to get the wall to open for them. "What do you think is up with Hermione Granger?"

James glanced at him as they snuck into the dark passageway.

"She's still a sore point, huh?"

Sirius glowered. "I just don't know if we can trust her. She turns up from nowhere, scars all over her chest, takes on a horde of Death Eaters and fights like nothing I've ever seen before."

James had stopped dead, and even in the dark, Sirius could sense a grin forming on his friend's face. "Her chest?" he said, with glee in his voice.

"Don't be daft, Prongs." He made a face at his mate, even though he wouldn't see it. "But yes, she's got this massive scar going from her shoulder to the opposite hip. I happened to see the upper edge, and she showed me the lower side too. Told me it streched the whole way down."

James whistled appreciatively, then added: "And you told us she knows about your animagus."

"Yes, she does."

"But not ours'?"

"Don't think so. But I'm not buying into her explanation as to how. Something's definitely off there."

They had reached the hidden entrance, which opened up to one of the corridors near the staircases on the ground floor. Both boys stacked the borrowed school brooms on the floor. No one would find them there.

"Got the map?" Sirius asked.

"It's up in my trunk," James retorted. "We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

He carefully pushed the wall in front of him, to open it up in a tiny crack that let a sliver of light into the darkness. They listened for surrounding sounds for a moment, and then slipped out into the school again. Seeing as the first classes of the day would be fully in session by now, not too much hinderence should be expected.

Just as they closed shut the bit of wall they'd come out from, a voice hailed them from behind.

"Thought you'd get here sooner or later."

The boys turned around, excuses at the ready, but when they saw who it was, they relaxed. Remus stood half hidden inside a niche, leaning against the wall, hands in his front pockets.

"Are you okay, Padfoot?" he asked, concern lining his voice.

"I'm fine," Sirius confirmed shortly. But his eyes still held the darkness that indicated something else entirely, and both Remus and James could see that he wouldn't need much provocation to blow up again.

"Let's get back to our room," Remus said, signing for them to follow.

"But you have classes!" protested Sirius, looking bothered. "You're a Prefect!"

"Not when things like this happen, " was Remus' stubborn retort.

All three young men looked at each other, and there and then they could feel an almost physical form of the friendship bond between them, stronger than ever.

At last, Sirius gave them half a smile, and all three went up to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

The fourth marauder, Peter Pettigrew, had seen his friends running to Sirius' side in the Great Hall, and with an open mouth watched as they got the situation under control. All this had happened before he'd even grasped that something was wrong. For a second, he thought of following them out, but gloomily felt that running around searching after them was somewhat demeaning.

He often felt like that these days.

The moment he had realised that James, Remus and Sirius counted him as one of them, Peter had been the luckiest boy alive. Being included in the ever so popular clique, he did his best to keep up with the others. Sure, their adventures and pranks was always a whole lot of fun, but he felt like he always had to ask the others for help. The struggles he'd been through when they all fought to become animaguses was only one of the many discouraging moments in his life. He had of course been the last one to complete the transformation, and by the time he managed it, the others had already been out running together several times. And on top of it all, he'd turned out to be a _rat_. It was a practical form to get into hard reached spaces, but besides that, not very impressive. Typical of his luck.

Peter shoved a whole piece of toast into his mouth and washed it down with a full goblet of pumpkin juice. After wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his robes, he suddenly spotted the letter that seemed to have started all the ruckus, left on the table when James had got up so hastily. Peter looked around him, and then picked it up, starting to read.

The message was written with black ink on thick, expensive parchment, and the header was embellished with the Black Family crest, stating their well known motto; _Toujours Pur_. Beneath it, it read:

_Sirius,_

_Your brother has sent me disturbing news of your involvement in the Hogsmeade matters a few days ago. This forces me to convey how very upset and disappointed I am over your actions! _

_How DARE YOU even _think_ about standing up against the Dark Lord's wishes, to be staining the name of Black, dragging it in the mud along with those animals you insist upon associating with!_

_I now believe you to be a lost case, Sirius. MY OLDEST SON! Such shame on the House of Black! At least your brother holds proper pride and beliefs, at least HE is taking a stand among the right kind of people. I fear you will never reach the places that are destined for a Black! _

_I demand to see a change in this disgusting behaviour, or I will be forced to take proper action against you and those filthy mudblood-lovers you mix with. _

_There WILL be consequenses._

_W.B_

Peter stared at the letter he held in his hand. He knew, of course, about the estrangement between Sirius and the rest of his family, but this suddenly made the conflict feel bigger than he had ever thought it to be. He swallowed, looked around him and then put the piece of paper away in his bag. Even as he picked up his things to set off for class, Mrs. Black's words kept dancing before his eyes.

_The Dark Lord… Consequenses…_

He shook his head and got out of the Great Hall.

Sometimes Peter wondered about himself, about if the Sorting Hat really had put him in the right house. He was definitely not smart enough to be a Ravenclaw, and the people in Hufflepuff made him squirm with their almost mindless good will and loyalty to each other. And Slytherin, well…they were all evil prats, …right?

Peter absentmindedly kicked at the floor of the corridor as he walked along for his Charms class. He gloomily admitted to himself that Gryffindor probably was the only choice left for the hat to choose from. Not because he was daring and brave, but because none of the other houses fitted him. His couldn't even keep up with those he considered his friends.

"Hey, Pettigrew."

Someone, in a slightly hushed voice, woke Peter from his surly thoughts. He looked up from his feet and caught sight of none other than the boy that seemed to have caused Sirius to blow up just moments ago.

"Black," said Peter, a little nervously, as he found his way forward blocked by the boy.

The Slytherin looked very much like his brother. Both of them carried the same fair skin, dark hair and grey eyes. Perhaps Regulus was a little lankier, but no one would fail to notice them being related. Right now, Regulus Black had an amused look on his face. He stood up straight with his arms folded in front of his chest.

Peter groaned silently. This scenario had played out before. And sure enough, when he looked around him, two other Slytherins had joined them, from behind him in the corridor.

"Wha- what do you want, Black?" Peter almost stumbled over the words. He slowly backed away from them and soon hit the wall. The three Slytherins closed in on him.

"_I_ don't want anything, Pettigrew," answered Regulus with a sneer. "Personally, I think anyone my brother keeps as company is probably a lost cause…" he stepped closer to the nervous Peter, who by now had started to twitch, not too unlike a rat. "…but someone else has asked to meet you," he said.

"Who? Whe-re?" Peter stuttered.

"Just go," muttered one of the Slytherins and pushed Peter in front of him. When they had crossed the landing outside of the Great Hall, he was steered towards the dungeons.

"But I have to go to class!" protested Peter, in a whining voice.

This was met with a short snort and nothing else, and the Gryffindor sighed as he went deeper and deeper into the dark territory belonging to the Slytherins. They passed the hallway outside of the Potion's classroom, kept going a for a couple of minutes more and at last they stopped. Peter found himself standing in a dark corridor, lit with stray torches set in brackets along the walls. A single, closed door was seen, and Regulus knocked on it. Peter, who never had been so deep into the dungeons before, was by now really scared, and almost shook with tension.

The door swung open on its own accord, and Peter Pettigrew yelped frightenedly as he was shoved into the dark room.

* * *

"Are you sure?"

Remus Lupin's voice held a tone of disbelief, and told much of what both he and James Potter was thinking when Sirius had told them the deeper meaning of the letter from his mother.

Sirius sank back on his bed and slung one arm over his face. He was beginning to feel a headache coming on.

"Pretty much. When my mother talks about 'the right kind of people', it's not just the measly pureblooded, no…" his words were filled with bitterness. "No, when Walburga Black says things like that, she aims higher."

"So you mean that Regulus…?" James looked horrified.

"…is probably well on his way to becoming a Death Eater, yes."

"And she approves? A fifteen year old boy?" asked Remus.

Sirius snorted. "She encourages it. My mother strongly holds the beliefs that You-Know-Who is right on his way to something great. That those bastards killed four people a couple of days ago, is nothing of concern to her."

The three boys had made themselves comfortable in their dormatory. They each occupied their respective bed, and the feeling in the room was one of severe seriousness. All thoughts of the day's classes were forgotten.

"I can't hardly believe it," James said again, tossing a pillow half-heartedly in the air.

"Please do," answered Sirius, still laying down, his face covered. "'Cause I'm out. This is it for me, I won't go back to that house. If that is what I have to call family, I'd rather denounce the name of Black."

He sat up, slowly, and pinched the bridge of his nose. James and Remus looked at each other. They had never seen their friend so angry, bitter and resigned at the same time.

"Hey mate, no problem." James put down the pillow. "You can stay with me at holidays. You know my folks already thinks of you as a son anyway."

Sirius looked up. The morning's events had left him all but emotionally spent. This particular happening was the last drop, a detail to follow so many others like it before. And James' offer had now made his throat close up. John and Eleanore Potter had always taken kindly to James' closest friends, and Sirius really liked them too. Not able to speak, he just nodded and then fell backwards again.

Remus and James didn't leave their dispirited – and still very angry – friend's side for the whole morning. Sirius didn't talk much, but sat staring out into nothing, sometimes muttering swear words and punching his pillow. When lunchtime came up, Remus had had enough. He closed his Arithmancy book.

"Get up," he ordered the other two. "We're going down to get some food."

"Yeah, if McGonagall gets wind of us ditching any more classes, there's gonna be hell to pay," James agreed, looking so depressed by this thought that Sirius couldn't help but smirk.

But then his look darkened again. "If I see Regulus, I might very well do something stupid," he declared.

"If Regulus is so stupid that he is down there even though he knows your temper, then he'll have to only himself to blame," Remus said calmly and started putting things in his book bag.

It often took Sirius by surprise when the calm and collected Prefect showed signs of having a more malicious streak, but there was truly some protectiveness in Moony's words now.

"Uugh… okay then," Sirius grumbled, getting up and irritatedly loosening his tie a bit. If he had to endure other people right now, he might as well be somewhat comfortable.

When they descended the stairs from the dormitories, they noticed the common room being occupied by none other than the girl who so infuriated Sirius Black. She sat reading in the bright window, a plate of half-eaten lunch sandwiches beside her on the ledge. Hermione Granger looked up when she heard the three boys coming down. She hesitantly closed the book in her lap, and watched them with concern.

"You weren't in class. How are things?" she asked, her gaze dancing between the three of them, to settle at Sirius at last.

There was such a worried look in her eyes that he frowned for a moment. He still didn't know where she stood, and he was more than a little tired of all the mystery she insisted upon.

"Everything's peachy," he bit back at her.

James and Remus exchanged looks, and both seemed able to communicate without words that this could end badly. James took his brooding mate by the elbow and dragged him towards the portrait, while James sent an apologetic look at Hermione, trailing after them.

Hermione watched them leave, not knowing what to do. She had never known the details of Sirius' breakup from his family, but this seemed to be it, didn't it? She wondered what had been in the letter to set him off.

* * *

That same night, the three Marauders that had skipped all morning classes had to endure a thorough lashing of words from their Head of House. What they didn't know was that Peter too had missed some of his classes, but he was not present for the detentions, and he wasn't mentioned by their irate teacher.

Minerva McGonagall kept them for hours in her Transfiguration classroom, making them write lines while glaring at them from behind her desk. When she at last let them go, it was well after curfew and the castle was dark and silent.

Sirius' mood was still one of angry brooding. For the better part of the day, he'd been quiet, but those times when he actually had to interact with someone, he more often than not lashed out. As they went to go back to their dormitories, Sirius muttered profanities for himself and rubbed his numb hand. When they got to the second floor landing, they encountered a problem in the fact that the staircase had turned away, leaving them with nothing to climb. This, of course, happened now and then with a staircase that turned on its own accord, but it always seemed to be at the most inappropriate of times.

"Bloody hell," Sirius said. He was tired and cranky. "Could this day get any worse? Prongs, give us the map, will you?"

James rummaged around in his bag and produced the piece of parchment they so counted on during their mischieves.

Poking his wand at it, James said: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map came to life, and after a few moments searching below their lit wand tips, Remus could point out that the part of the stairs they needed were standing still at a whole other part of the landing.

"I'd say it's best to take the south wing stairs up to the third floor and go on from there," he suggested, straightening his back.

James didn't say anything, but kept looking at the map. "Guys," he started. "Care to make a little detour on the third floor while we're at it?"

He pointed at a tiny dot labelled 'Hermione Granger', currently entering a small room at said floor.

"What the…?" Remus and Sirius just stared bewilderedly at the name on the map, but James snatched it back, and then shook his arm in front of them. In his hand was the silvery invisibility cloak.

"Let's do it," said Sirius, purposefully striding away towards the south wing that would let them get up one level.

James was checking the map while they hastened to get to their new destination. As they got nearer, they all slowed their steps, and both Remus and Sirius got in under the cloak next to James. It was a little too small for all of them, but seeing as they hopefully only needed to stand still to see what she was up to, they just all crouched down under it.

"Behind that portrait," James whispered, when they saw the painting of the happy puppies. The adorable pets had almost fallen asleep. Sometimes one of them would tug another's long ear a little half heartedly, but there were more and more big yawns among the small animals.

"You sure this is the place?" Remus asked in a whisper, and James nodded. They crept silently to a corner by the opposite wall, so not to risk being in the way, while still being able to spot anything happening. Nothing moved for about a quarter of an hour, and then suddenly, the puppy painting swung forward.

The boys all went still, almost holding their breath, but nothing too exciting seemed to happen. They witnessed Hermione carefully checking the corridor for sounds or movement before climbing out of the portrait hole, then she turned around and faced it again. She completed her usual warding of the room, her wand leaving golden streaks and patterns in the air while she muttered the incantations. James could feel Sirius stiffen up while seeing this, and turning around to watch his already troubled friend, he noticed him looking absolutely thunderous under the cloak. Remus had spotted it too, and they both made silent signs of caution to him. Sirius glared at them but kept his mouth shut. When Hermione was done, she took one last look around her, and then walked away quietly so as to not be noticed by any random teacher patrols. When they were sure she was well on her way, Sirius threw off the cloak and stalked off to face the entrance to the secret room.

"What's the matter, Padfoot?" James asked, feeling confused.

Sirius turned around, and this time his dark look could have scared the most hardened soul.

"_She used some fucking Black wards!"_ he hissed, clenching his fists. "How the _hell_ did she know about them?"

He fought to keep his temper, and the others stared at him.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus carefully, not taking his eyes off Sirius.

Sirius gestured at the painting. "The warding! The incantations, the wand movements – I can recognize them in my sleep. They're Black Family secrets. No outsiders should be able to use them."

He took out his wand and muttered what seemed to be the same spells as Hermione had, copying her wand movements in detail. The darkness of the corridor was once more showered in golden lights.

"The password is _capricious_," James said in a low voice, when Sirius had stopped his work, having been able to read it off the map as soon as the warding was taken off.

At the sound of the word, the painting swung forward once more, and they all got in to the small room.

"But what does it mean?" James asked, furrowing his brow while he looked around. "Are you sure about the wards?"

"I could take them down, couldn't I," said Sirius. "Maybe she's working for my mother," he added, acid dripping from his words. "She could be a spy, trying to get close to Dumbledore. Or something else entirely… But I knew something was off with her!"

The small room before them was dark, and there was evidence of a recently estinguished fire in the grate. They all lit their wand tips and had a look around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary in the small space, until Remus came upon the desk that held Hermione's means for potion making. He stared for some time at the cauldrons that had some kind of gooey mixture in them. Then he took a closer look at the shelf above it, which contained several ingredients of different kinds.

"Guys…" he said, suddenly feeling his heart in his throat. "These are Wolfsbane plant ingredients."

The other two came to stand beside him, trying to get what he was telling them.

"Your potion…" whispered James after a few moments.

"What are the odds, huh…" said Remus. "She shows up, and shortly after, there it is, just given to me."

"Moony…" James looked horrified. "What if it's poisonous? What if she's trying to hurt you?"

"But then… Is Dumbledore in on it then?" Remus had picked up an unmarked bottle and stared at it. It was just like the one the Headmaster had given him. "What the _hell_ is going on?"

"We have to get some answers," Sirius said, taking one last look around the room under his sweeping wand light. "If we hurry, we might catch her before she disappears up to the girls' dormitories."

They all got out, and almost ran through the hallways. With the map, they could avoid any trouble on the way, and Sirius soon found Hermione's name on it again.

"She's just one level up," Sirius panted, and a few seconds later, the portrait of the Fat Lady came into their view. He could see Hermione just about to getting up to it.

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_ he said in a low voice, and at the same moment as Hermione looked around for the sound, she was hit with the spell and fell backwards, stiff as a board.

"Sirius!" hissed James at his friend's action, but Remus, oddly enough, kept quiet. He too just stepped into her view, having drawn his own wand and pointed it between her unmoving eyes. There was unmistakable fear shining in them, even though she couldn't move.

"We are going to get some answers," Remus said to her, dead serious, before quietly saying: "_Finite Incantatem_," releasing her from the spell.

"What are you doing?" she wheezed, still on the floor. She was clearly taken by the sudden attack.

Hermione had drawn hastily after breath as soon as she got free. Her brain worked furiously to try to understand what just had happened, to produce some kind of story that the boys would accept. But the shock of it all made her come up with nothing.

"Get in," Sirius gestured at the now open entrance, still pointing his wand at her.

This was not something she'd expected to happen, not now, not like this. A little dazed, Hermione climbed in to the empty common room and then turned around. Both Sirius and Remus still had their wands at her. James on the other hand looked a little apprehensive.

"Sit," said Sirius shortly.

Hermione's heart felt like bursting in her chest as she sat down in an armchair. _What was going on? What had happened?_

"Who are you? Really?" Remus asked her, his tone short.

She had never seen him so cold and commanding before. The sweet guy, the Prefect, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she could sense the rage of the dangerous creature that dwelled within him, the thing that could kill so easily.

She nervously brushed her hair back, asking: "What do you mean?" trying to buy some time, hoping to get some clever idea about it all. But her mind was blank. It felt hopeless, and Sirius almost growled at her stupid answer. She didn't blame him, really.

"You used Black wards," he said, dangerously sweet.

_Oh, Merlin…_

"Where the _bloody hell_ would you have gotten your hands on them, I wonder?" He tilted his head and raised his eybrows mockingly. His gaze pierced her and there were such anger – almost hate – in them that she wanted to cry.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…_

Hermione closed her eyes and almost mumbled her self abusive thoughts out loud. Inwardly, she sighed deeply. All the time she had spent living at the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix – at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place – had left her with an extensive knowledge of all the dark books that could be found in that place. She had picked up on the wardings when reading some book or other, and never even thought about someone getting the referense in this time. Of course Sirius would have noticed the family traits if he actually had seen her perform them. When she opened her eyes again, there was wetness in them. She bowed her head, looking down at her hands.

"I can't tell you," she whispered.

"What was that?" Sirius asked, clearly irritated.

Hermione looked up at him.

"I can't tell you," she said again, louder this time, her eyes looking directly into his.

"Well, that's not good enough!" He suddenly took a few steps forward, and before she knew it, his wand pressed into her jugular. His furious face was inches from her's.

"Sirius, that's enough!" roared James.

Remus too seemed to have calmed down somewhat and now looked a little concerned. Sirius whipped his head around, and upon seeing the expression on James' face, took a deep breath and retracted his arm. He stepped back. The place at Hermione's throat where the wand had poked her blossomed red.

"Why can't you tell us?" asked James, sitting down opposite her.

Hermione just shook her head now, silent tears running down her cheeks. She should have prepared for a possibility of a confrontation like this. _Oh, Harry…_ She didn't think she'd ever missed him more than now, with the man he so had wanted to meet, the father who he so had needed, sitting next to her. _Not now._ She needed to get her thoughts straight.

"But there are things going on, isn't there?" James continued. "Important things?"

Hermione reluctantly nodded, not looking at anyone. She had endured torture before, but being interrogated by people she loved was much worse. Seeing their disappointed faces was harder than anything else.

"What about the potion?" Remus asked, quietly. "Is that what you're making in that room? The Wolfsbane potion?"

"Yes," she confirmed, without hesitation. Hermione knew it would be futile to lie about that, now it was apparent they had seen her private place.

"So you know?" he said, a slight quiver to his voice.

"Yes, Remus," she sighed. "I know you're a werewolf. And I know about James' stag."

After hesitating a second, she added: "And Peter's rat."

Sirius had thrown his hands in the air in a resigned sort of way, and threw himself down in an armchair, looking thouroghly sullen.

"Just tell us how, why don't you?" he hissed angrily.

"I told you – I can't," she insisted. She had gotten her tears under control now, and patted at her damp eyes with the sleeves of her shirt. Seeing as the boys weren't nearly satisfied with this, she continued: "There are… I… Aw, damn it, this is gonna sound weird however I come out with it," she muttered. Clearing her throat, she said: "I care about you all. A lot. More than you can imagine. But there are things that have to be done right now, and there are people that I can't trust to keep a secret."

The room was absolutely quiet. She almost expected a common round of 'Huh?', but it was a couple of moments before anyone said anything.

It was Remus. He had stared at her the whole time, and now he too sat himself down before talking, in a low voice.

"It's Peter, isn't it?"

Hermione's eyes widened and before she could help herself, she had turned her head to look at him. Her mouth was dry.

"There's something about Peter you can't stand," he persisted.

"What are you talking about?" asked Sirius, still mightily peeved over the situation. He hadn't calmed down entirely yet, and he still wanted answers. But he too had seen her reaction to Remus' comment.

Remus turned his head to his surly friend. "Werewolf, remember?" He pointed at himself. "I can sense these things. And she," he turned his index finger to Hermione, "has a whole lot of issues with Peter Pettigrew. But I don't know why."

Hermione had gone white in the face.

"Really?" James sat up straight, examining her. "I think we're getting closer to something, guys."

All of them were ruthless when they started hurling question upon question at her, and she answered evasively as best as she could, but at the same time, she knew some of her game was up.

"Okay, okay, _shut up!_" she hissed at last, frustratedly combing her fingers through her now messy hair. "Yes," she admitted, while sighing. "There are things I can't tell you because of… Peter." She glanced furtively at them. She felt exhausted. "I'd like to, Merlin knows I would _love_ to tell you everything, but it is not an option. Too much is at stake."

The mood in the room was tense, and she could see the frustrated looks on everyone's faces.

"I'm getting to bed," she declared, standing up. In a smaller voice, she added: "Please don't hex me again."

None of them tried to stop her, and her chest burned painfully with a sudden enormous sadness. She had hardly got halfway up the dormitory stairs before bursting into quiet heaving sobs, feeling like she'd lost them all over again. She bit into her fist to stop herself from crying out.

The only thing she could think of was how they never would trust her again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Author's Note:** The lovely Miss _Beatlechicksteph_ made this chapter so much more readable. She's awesome, truly awesome.

**Chapter 12**

Hermione Granger had all reason to grieve the fragile relationship with Sirius, Remus and James, as it became apparent as early as the next day how angry they still were with her, and how suspicious they thought her very presence to be. Worse was the hostility that practically radiated from Sirius Black. He spent all his time purposely ignoring her completely, and if he even accidentally happened to lay his eyes on her, there was more often than not real anger in them, along with that hint of a dark, almost hateful gaze.

In Sirius' defense, after having seen Hermione use the warding technique only members of the Black Family should have known about, and after the treatment he'd gotten from his mother the very same day, he had all right to be suspicious. Sirius had come to truly believe that she had something to do with the woman he despised more than anything, and was now on an immediate lookout for more treachery on Hermione's part.

He had written a very short message to Walburga Black, consisting of nothing more than one sentence, but one that he thought should tell her _exactly_ how he felt about the whole situation:

_Go ahead and remove me from the blasted tapestry, as I no longer consider myself belonging to the family._

_S.B_

There hadn't been an answer yet, but Sirius could very well guess how Mrs. Black would react to the letter. He didn't doubt that he wouldn't be able to return to Grimmauld Place ever again, and that his mother would change the wards to not let him in if he ever tried to. Black wards were kept secret for a reason – they were the best – and he surely wouldn't have a chance to take them down if she were to choose some of the more obscure ones. But Sirius didn't mind. He had everything of value to him with him at Hogwarts any way, and the house in London was only considered to be the space where he had to spend the summers. He also knew that he would be taken out of the old bat's will, and that the large inheritance, that under usual forms would fall upon him on his twentieth birthday, would be no more.

He couldn't care less.

* * *

Hermione went to see Dumbledore first thing in the early morning. She told him the news that the Gryffindor boys had found out about her secret room with its potion brewing space, and that they now thought of her as some kind of traitor or spy. Her voice cracked during her telling of the story, and Dumbledore could very well see how upset she was by the fact that she had lost the confidence of the ones she so recently had started to consider friends again.

"Hmm," he hummed, slowly rapping his finger on the desk while studying the upset witch in front of him.

The gloriously red phoenix, Fawkes, sat perched upon his branch by the sunlit window, chirping quietly. It was always uncanny how the intelligent bird seemed to get into the very core of people. The bird's immediate acceptance of the girl when she first came to the castle had been one of the reasons Dumbledore trusted her so. Fawkes' judgement carried great value, and Dumbledore now got the feeling that the phoenix aimed its soft noises towards Hermione and her sorrow, trying to console.

"Well," he started. "Perhaps this was a sign, telling us that it is time to push ourselves forward a little, bring up some of our plans a bit further?"

He looked at Hermione, who seemed confused. "Sir?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"We already knew that Misters Potter, Black and Lupin would come to join us sooner or later, and I think this could be as good a moment as any to tell them a little more about the Order. What do you think?"

Hermione sat silent, wringing her hands without noticing. Then she looked up. "I guess _some_ things could be explained to them. They have pretty much already worked out that something _is_ going on, and I don't think the existence of the Order would come as a surprise to them. Would you allow them to join?"

"I don't think that will be necessary at the moment, and I also believe the young men will understand. For now, it is important to make them feel like they're 'in the loop', as they say." He smiled at her.

"But what about the other things?" Hermione asked, a slight rasp to her voice. "They know I made the potion. Will Remus even trust me enough to take it again? How can we explain that I, this new student just happens to know what could be considered almost a cure to lycanthropy? And Peter? The boys would never keep the knowledge of a secret organization from him."

Dumbledore said nothing about this. He sat in silence for a minute, watching the phoenix, whose plumage seemed to glow like hot lava in the rays from the morning sun. Then the headmaster produced his wand, and with a flick of it he filled the desk between them with tea and sandwiches.

"I believe that matters like these should not be discussed on an empty stomach, please dig in."

Hermione gave the old man in bright blue robes a small smile and picked up the teacup in front of her. He really had a knack of knowing how to make her feel better.

"Would you so say," Dumbledore began, after having swallowed a small sandwich "that many of these problems stem from the fact that you are unable to decide upon where Mister Pettigrew's loyalties lay?"

Hermione nodded, and took a sip from her tea.

"I don't know if Peter went over to Voldemort's side when he still was at school, or if it happen afterwards. But as an outsider looking in on them, I would definitely say that he is the odd one out in their group. I also think I've seen only Sirius, Remus and James alone, on more and more occasions lately."

She nibbled on the corner of a toast. "Maybe this is when he starts to switch sides," she said, sounding troubled. "The boys are so very protective of each other, and they trust one another with their lives. At this moment they would never keep anything from him if they were to find out where I really come from. I thought that maybe I'd be able to keep him from turning on them, but I have no idea where to start. It's hard enough being in the same room as him, even though I know he hasn't done anything yet. My instincts just go haywire."

"Well," Dumbledore said, and sat his teacup down on the table. "We'll have to keep an even sharper eye on Mister Pettigrew from now on. And when we decide that the time is right, the others could be told as much as we'll be able to, without harming our work."

His appearance was one of pleasant calmness, and Hermione started to relax a little. Perhaps this whole horrible business wouldn't be such a failure after all.

"I should take this opportunity to tell you that I'll be going away for a couple of days."

"How come?" asked Hermione, immediately interested.

"I have been successful in finding a lead on the one of the horcruxes you said to be Hufflepuff's cup. I believe it hasn't yet been transferred into the Lestrange's vault at Gringotts, and I now intend to check if this might be true."

"Good," she said, with feeling. "The sooner we can get this thing together, the better."

Hermione and Dumbledore had thus far agreed upon a plan, that they wouldn't go after the horcruxes until they knew all their locations. Their best option would be to create some kind of coordinated attack upon all the objects at once, and then take out the Dark Lord himself. Dumbledore had already confirmed the existence of the ring in the ruins of the Gaunt's old shack, and the tiara still sat where Voldemort had placed it when he had come asking for the teaching position – in the Room of Requirement.

Albus Dumbledore had been most delighted when he learned of the mysterious room, and its purpose of giving its user what they most needed. Hermione had taken him to it, had walked outside the bare bit of wall on the seventh floor three times, wishing to see the place where all things were hidden. The door had popped into existence, and together, they had gone to locate one of the pieces of Tom Riddle's soul. Hermione shivered when she thought of it.

The headmaster had also gone to examine the place where the cave was hidden, but he hadn't found any traces of dark magic in the area. This either meant that the locket hadn't become a horcrux yet, or that Voldemort still stored it somewhere else.

Hermione thought of Kreacher, the Black's old family house elf, who had told them the horrible story of the cave, after Dumbledore and Harry had returned to Headquarters with the false locket. The elf had broken down at the sight of his master Regulus' treasure and they had managed to coerce him into telling them that one of the pieces of Tom Riddle's soul indeed was hidden in Kreacher's den in the kitchen.

But they weren't so lucky in this time. The diary, the locket, the cup and the snake were all still unknown factors. Hermione thought it improbable that Voldemort would have turned the snake into a horcrux yet, and there was a slight possibility that the diary could be found at Malfoy Manor, but all this was just guesswork. If now Dumbledore had a lead on the cup, it really was great news.

"I have arranged for additional security while I'm away, so don't worry about that. Just try to get through these next couple of days, Hermione, and everything will solve itself, I'm sure of it," said Dumbledore.

She highly doubted this, but didn't say anything and finished the breakfast. At least she wouldn't have to face anyone on an empty stomach.

* * *

Hermione felt absolutely miserable during the whole Friday. After the day's classes were over with, she took her refuge to the library. She spent the whole evening alone, hiding away within the nooks and crannies that could be found deeper within the maze of bookcases. If it hadn't been for the new security matters, she'd loved to be able to go for a long, fast, sweaty run around the lake. Instead, she just sat for hours on the floor, with her legs bent up and her head on her knees. Only occasionally did she flip through a random book.

When she at last went back up to the tower that night, she dreaded having to meet the Marauders in the common room. She was more than hurt by the treatment she had had to endure from Sirius, but Remus too had been beyond cold towards her, and hadn't even looked her way all day. This didn't mean that she couldn't understand why they acted this way, but it still hurt. James, on his part, had definitely seemed troubled by it all, but he had at least nodded at her before sitting down beside Peter in Transfiguration in the afternoon. Hermione wondered if they had told him everything yet, and she could have sworn the pudgy boy looked at her several times during the day, with a nervous look on his face.

Of course they had told him. Why wouldn't they?

And now, climbing into the circular Gryffindor Tower with a feeling of dread in her stomach, Hermione could see at once that it didn't hold any hostile boys. She breathed out, and hurried to head up to her own room. There she found Lydia hanging out on her bed, reading the latest issue of _Witch Weekly. _When Hermione entered, the dark haired girl sat up.

"Where have you been?" she asked, sounding both a little worried and annoyed.

"Just in the library," Hermione answered, evasively.

She could see the skeptical look in Lydia's eyes, but didn't want to talk any more about it, so she decided to change topic.

"Where is Jenny?"

Upon the mentioning of the other girl, Lydia smiled widely.

"She managed to get Bradley Creek to go out with her tonight. They're probably having a good time up at the Astronomy tower right now." She leaned back on her headboard again, looking pleased.

"Really? He's the Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, isn't he?" Hermione remembered the blond guy that had entranced Jenny so at the tryouts earlier in the year.

"That he is," Lydia said. Her friend had pined for Bradley Creek ever since their fifth year, and that she had succeeded in muster up enough courage to ask him out was a triumph for both of them.

Hermione sat down on her own bed, and took a brush to her hair. It was a little early for getting to sleep already, but with the day she'd had, she just wished for it to end.

"Are they getting to play tomorrow, then?" she asked.

Ever since the attack on Hogsmeade, the students had been strictly forbidden from going out on the grounds unless it was for classes. This had been accepted as fair by most, probably due to the cold weather. The only sore point had been the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw this Saturday. It was the first match of the year, and everyone had been looking forward to it.

"Apparently so. Potter said that Dumbledore has strengthened the security all around the grounds."

"Oh. That's great then."

Hermione didn't really care about the match, but she guessed that both James and Sirius probably had high hopes for their team, as both the boys were competitive as few when it came to Quidditch. She said goodnight to Lydia and pulled the hangings around her four-poster bed shut. If she was lucky, she might fall asleep fast this time.

* * *

Saturday brought the students of Hogwarts a beautiful day. A clear, bright sun sat upon the blue sky and shone down on everyone in the Great Hall during breakfast. All the usual rivalry between the houses had magnified and could be heard and seen everywhere. There were catcalls and shouts between the tables, and everyone had donned scarves and hats in the colours of the team they'd chosen to support.

When the Captain of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall with the rest of his team members in tow, the Gryffindor table erupted in proud cheers. Hermione, though, kept her head down as James and Sirius sat down some way away, not wanting to risk any more confrontations. But both boys seemed to be in a great mood, laughing and joking and throwing more or less serious insults at the Ravenclaw team. In the corner of her eye, she could see Sirius being surrounded by girls attempting to catch his attention, and he on his part seem to enjoy the company.

Hermione felt a sudden stab of jealousy in her chest when she noticed him flirting openly with a pretty blonde. This was such an unexpected and unwelcome feeling she almost choked on the pumpkin juice she had been drinking. She definitely hadn't expected it, but when she saw Sirius Black holding the blonde's hand and smiling devilishly at her, she wanted to cry and rage at the same time.

An avalanche of thoughts started to whirl within her. _Oh, crap... This wasn't supposed to happen... _Her head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton balls, and she breathed out heavily while watching Sirius holding court. _There's so much more important things for me to do. _The ambivalent feelings tore at her insides. Being romantically involved with anyone should really come way down her list of things to do, so why did the thought of him with another girl suddenly feel like a slap in the face?

Feeling more than a little dazed, she hardly noticed when Jenny – who had been more than chipper this morning – poked her in the side with her elbow.

"You okay?" she asked, her mouth full of toast. "You've gone all pale."

Hermione could hear the concern in Jenny's voice, and was just about to tell her she was fine when James took this moment to step up on the table, greatly cheered on by the Gryffindors. She glanced over at the teachers' platform, but it was almost like they'd expected this sort of behaviour and didn't seem to care much. The Quidditch tournament was serious business at Hogwarts, and the students were allowed some frivolities, especially when it came to the first match of the year.

James looked happy and determined, and he started to whip his house members into ecstatic cheerfulness. Everyone made such a ruckus, that the confident yells around their table almost drowned the disapproving boos coming from the Ravenclaw and Slytherin side. When everyone at last started to trickle out from the Great Hall, Hermione found her arm grabbed by Jenny.

"I know that look," she said. "You're going to try to get out of coming with us to the pitch."

There was such gentle knowing in Jenny's voice that Hermione grimaced, not able to come up with an excuse. Lydia appeared on her other side, and together the two girls steered her towards the huge doors that led them out to the gloriously sunlit, snowy grounds. Hermione really just wanted to get back to her room, and bury herself in the comforts of her bed. But how could she explain to Jenny and Lydia that she'd just discovered herself to have serious feelings for the one and only _Sirius Black_, Harry Potter's would-be godfather and someone she'd known to be dead since he fell through the veil in the Department of Mysteries so long ago?

If she was to be totally honest with herself, these feelings hadn't just popped into existence right now, but because of the whole emotional roller coaster she'd experienced the last couple of months, she hadn't recognized them for what they were.

And now… It hurt.

Yes, it hurt, seeing Sirius walking some way in front of them, with his arm around the blonde girl's waist. To see him smile at her, and tuck her hair in behind her ear.

Hermione couldn't help herself, and asked: "Who is that girl?"

"Who?" said Jenny, and after having seen where Hermione nodded, she snorted.

"Ah, I see Black is back to normal then."

Lydia had a look too, and almost instantly gave a short laugh. "Yeah, he's been unusually laid back on the whole dating scene this year. We were wondering if he was nursing some secret crush or something."

"I think she's a Hufflepuff," continued Jenny. "No idea who, though."

The cold air hit them like a hammer blow the second they stepped outside, and Jenny performed a warming charm on the three of them. It didn't shut out all the bitingly cold wind though, and as they climbed the stairs to get up to the seats around the Quidditch pitch, Hermione had to rub her hands together to get some warmth into them. The stands filled up quite quickly, and when she looked around, Hermione's eyes happened to find Remus and Peter, seated a couple of stories above them. Remus still wouldn't acknowledge her existence, but it made her feel a little uncomfortable to find Peter staring at her. She tore her eyes off of him and turned forward again, trying to get herself together.

Just a short while later, the stands erupted in wild cheers and applause as the gathered audience could see the two competing teams sweeping in on their broomsticks. Hermione winced at the sudden noise, and sighed a little when she watched James and Sirius converge with the rest of the team in mid-air, probably trying to work out some strategy of sorts. They were all in full Quidditch uniform, and Hermione grudgingly had to admit to herself that Sirius Black looked amazing in the red and gold colours, with the sunlight shining off the brass pieces that held the protective leather gear together. Bradley Creek, Jenny's newly ensnared date, and also the Seeker of the team, was already circling the skies high above, ready to search for the golden snitch as soon as the referee started the game.

The two Captains flew out to meet in the middle to shake hands, then a whistle sounded. The game was on and the balls were set free.

Hermione stamped her feet and hugged herself repeatedly. She was becoming colder for every second that passed, and the cacophony of noise emanating from the excited students made her feel more and more stressed out and uneasy. She endured twenty minutes of game play, but then it just was…too much. She couldn't concentrate on the game, and really felt like she needed to get somewhere calm to process all her thoughts.

"I'm getting a headache!" she yelled in Lydia's ear, trying to make herself heard through the clamour. She gestured to herself, and then pointed in the direction of the castle, trying to make the other girl understand that she was leaving.

"You sure?" Lydia looked concerned, and she blew upon her rapidly cooling fingers, trying to get some heat in them. The warming charm was slowly wearing off.

"I just need a little calm and peace," assured Hermione. "See you guys later!"

She shot a smile at the girls she'd really started to consider friends, and pulled down her hat a little more and swept her long red and gold scarf tighter around her neck. She turned around and started to press through the crowd to get to the back. It wasn't until she'd come clear of everyone, and was starting to descend the now abandoned stairs at the back of the wooden structure that surrounded the pitch, that something happened. Hermione suddenly felt her feet slip away from under her, and she hardly had time to think before she was tumbling down the steep stairs. There was no time to get her wand out from under all the layers of warm clothing she wore against the cold, no time for casting a cushioning charm. She rolled painfully down the steps and then landed on the cold, hard ground with a muted 'thud!'. The fall had knocked the breath from her lungs, and she saw dots of light dancing in front of her eyes.

"Ouch," she winced, trying to get some sort of hold of what was up and what was down.

"Lie still."

Hermione heard a low, intense voice just above her, and she could sense someone hurrying from the stairs she'd just dropped from.

"No, I'm okay," she mumbled and tried to sit up, leaning back on her elbows.

She shook her head slightly and blinked a couple of times, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Looking up, she found Remus Lupin, crouching by her side, a worried frown on his face. Being so near him, Hermione could dazedly see the sunlight catching the odd shine of fine scars all over his face. Her heart did a double beat, and she could clearly see him reacting to this.

Werewolf. _Right._

"Really, I'm alright," repeated Hermione, after having checked that no bones were broken. "Just embarrassed, I guess. Must have slipped on some ice."

She avoided his gaze and started to stand up. She had lost the knitted hat she'd worn when she fell, and her wavy hair had left the confinement of it. It was now full of snow that glittered in the midday sunlight. Remus still stared at her, but Hermione, who ached all over and felt quite flustered, just couldn't take any more of the last days' treatment from him. Only wanting to be alone, she silently picked up her hat and then turned around and stiffly walked away towards the castle, thinking that besides her hurt pride, she'd probably have some massive bruises the next day.

* * *

Remus stared after Hermione as she limped away. He didn't know what to think of anything, but one thing was sure – he had just seen Peter Pettigrew cast a trip jinx upon the girl. _What had he been thinking? _Remus looked up at the high stands from where he'd been rushing down when he'd seen her fall.

_She could have broken her neck!_

The audience suddenly cheered louder than usual, and Remus absentmindedly noted that one of the teams must have scored a goal. He took one last look at the disappearing girl before starting to climb up the stairs again.

Peter had been acting more funny than usual these last couple of days, and the three marauders that had discovered the suspiciously strange behaviour of Hermione Granger, had agreed upon not mentioning what had happened, due to her apparent dislike of Peter. They were all a little protective of their smallest friend, and didn't think it would do him any good to know about the fact that the girl had something against him. But Peter had been twitchy and nervous for days anyway, although he wouldn't admit to anything being wrong when they'd asked him about it, and he had seem happy enough to go see the Quidditch match with Remus.

They sat down together at first, and watched the beginning of the game, but then Peter suddenly muttered something inaudible and got up and ran off. As Remus already was a little worried for him, he only hesitated for a few moments before deciding to follow his friend. What he saw when he got him in sight again though, was not something he'd been prepared for. There was no mistaking it, Peter had hexed Hermione so she fell down, and then he'd scurried off to Merlin knows where, without checking on how she was.

Remus got up to the top again, and scanned the crowd. There was no sign of Peter, so he went down to their seats again, not taking much notice of the actual game that was going on.

_What the hell just happened? _Without really registering anything, he watched the happenings in the air in front of him.

The booming voice of the commentator woke Remus out of his thoughts, when the excited boy cried out that James Potter had scored another goal. The game was definitely in favour of Gryffindor, and even if the Ravenclaw Seeker were to catch the snitch at this point, Gryffindor would win.

The crowd cheered on. Remus was still thinking about Peter, when the small boy could be seen making his way through the crowd, towards him. Peter sat down with a sheepish smile on his face.

"They're good, huh?"

Remus frowned a little, but decided to play along. "Yeah," he answered. "Where did you go?"

Peter held up a pair of thick gloves. "Just getting these. Man, it's freezing today. I thought this match could go on for hours and I didn't want to miss any of the good parts in the end."

"Huh," Remus said. "That's true."

He had an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Peter's hands had been shaking slightly when he'd held up the gloves, and his voice held a shiver of sorts. He kept wiping on his oddly shiny face, too, and to be able to perspire in this cold weather, one would have to be upset about something.

Peter was definitely lying to him.

* * *

The match lasted almost two full hours, but they'd won, of course. Bradley was happily sporting a bloody nose after having crashed into the Ravenclaw Seeker in his urge to catch the tiny, fluttering, golden ball when it finally appeared, but he caught it. And when the Gryffindor team's Captain was setting down on the ground, many of its house's students that had rushed down to the pitch decided he was their best one ever and then resolutely carried James Potter upon their shoulders.

James just laughed, pleased with his team's first efforts. When he at last was put down outside of the locker rooms, he caught sight of Sirius looking very satisfied, as he just came up for air after having snogged the blonde girl from this morning. James hadn't caught her name, but he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable with the situation. He was more than positive that his moody friend really had a hang-up on Hermione Granger, and he now guessed that this very public action was part of some sort of revenge from Sirius' side, for her refusing to tell them what she was up to.

Upon seeing Sirius acting so childish, he made a face. The whole mysterious business that the new girl had going on felt a little _too_ weird to him to just throw a tantrum about. He was of course curious about what part she played in it, but he didn't think that _this_ was the best way to get back at someone. But Sirius had always been impulsive and hot-tempered, and James had to admit he'd at least had toned down on the girls this term. Until now apparently.

* * *

Later that night, the Gryffindors celebrated their team's win with a big party. Food and drinks had been delivered to them, courtesy of James who'd gone down to the kitchen and managed to get the house elves to deliver nothing short of a feast to their common room. The party was in full flow. Loud music sounded all through the tower, Butterbeer and Firewhisky was handed around among the older students. People were laughing, dancing and in short having a great time.

James though, felt a little disgruntled. Sirius had left them for a meeting with the blonde Hufflepuff girl, and was probably right now attached to her lips in a dark corner somewhere in the castle. Remus was in an unusually weird mood and sat quietly in a chair, not talking to anyone, and Peter seemed to have disappeared somewhere again. James had tried to get Lily to spend some time with him, but not even his most extraordinary flattering pickup lines had made the girl fall for him this time either.

"James," he heard someone saying.

James turned around and found that Remus had left the armchair he'd been occupying for the last hour or so, and was now standing in front of him with an odd look on his face.

"You've seen Peter?" he asked.

James shook his head. "Not for a while, sorry."

He noticed the knit eyebrows and thoughtful look on Remus' face. "Is something wrong?"

Remus seemed to think about something. "Do you have the map?"

"Course, mate. It's in my trunk."

James watched his friend turn around and start towards the stairs to the boys' dormitories. He made up his mind on the spot. _Screw this._

"Hey, mind if I come? This party blows anyway," he grimaced.

He was awarded a grim smile and a nod from his friend, who was acting _really_ strange, and they both went upstairs, away from the music and tipsy people.

"So, what's going on?" asked James again, a little bewildered this time, when Remus was rummaging through his trunk in search for the map.

The two boys were alone in the bedroom they shared with Sirius and Peter. When Remus finally found the piece of parchment, he didn't activate it at once. Instead, he sank down on his four-poster bed, looking troubled. He rubbed both his eyes with the palms of his hands and then looked up at James.

"Prongs, I saw something weird today."

James too had sat down on his own bed, and said with a smile: "Weirder than Padfoot's tongue down a Hufflepuff's throat?" He gave a short laugh, but went quiet as soon as he caught his friend's serious look.

"Sort of," Remus retorted. He then proceeded to tell James what had happened during the game, and how he'd witnessed the fourth Marauder's assault on Hermione.

James was looking dumbstruck. "Are you sure?" He shook his head disbelievingly, not really able to grasp what Remus was telling him. "And he didn't mention anything about it when he got back?"

"Nothing whatsoever," Remus sighed. "And Hermione, in turn, just thought she'd slipped on the icy stairs. She never noticed him doing it."

"But why would he do something like that?" was James' first instinctive response.

"You know," started Remus. He was twirling his wand between his long slender fingers, seemingly thinking. "Something has bugged me. It's about those feelings of anxiety I've picked up from Hermione whenever Peter comes near her. It's almost like she's scared of him, but is doing her best not to act on those feelings. Like she's trying to repress them, to fight the unease. That's weird, right?"

He glanced at the dormant map in his hands. "Anyway, I wanted to check up on what Peter's doing. I haven't seen him in a while." He muttered: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

James got up from his own bed and went to sit beside his bothered friend. Together they scanned the map for the small dot that would tell them where Peter was. The boys usually didn't spy on each other, in according with a sort of unspoken rule between them all, but James had to admit that this seemed to be a special occasion.

"Well, look at that," he smirked after a while. He had located the dots of 'Sirius Black' and what turned out to be a 'Bethany Webster', in extremely close vicinity to each other in a deep windowsill on the third floor.

Remus in his turn pointed out that Hermione Granger was to be found in the library, where she apparently had returned to her hiding spot deep within the maze of shelves. He suddenly felt sorry for her. He had always known that his dark secret was something that would haunt him for all his life, and that if the larger wizarding community ever found out that he was a werewolf, he'd be thrown out of school first, and probably hunted down and killed later. After he realized that she knew about him, and that she was the one making the potion that he'd come to believe to be his saving grace for the future, he'd freaked out. There was no other way of describing it.

"Hey," James said suddenly, and without a word, he pointed to the dungeons.

In a small room pretty far down, four tiny dots could be read as 'Regulus Black', 'Lucius Malfoy', 'Aaron Lemaire' and – 'Peter Pettigrew'.

"What the hell?" muttered James, looking stricken.

Remus on the other hand jumped off the bed, and was once more searching through James' trunk.

"It's under my bed," said James at once.

He wiped the map and tucked it under his sweater, and Remus dove in under the bed and found the silvery cloth he was looking for. That none of the boys had to say their thoughts out loud was a true sign of the depth of their friendship. They both hurried down through the common room and out into the dark hallways before anyone could grab James – who was the hero of the day – and ask him to retell parts of the game play again.

They only had to hide once on the way down to the dungeons, and before they crossed the landing before the Great Hall and started the descent into the dark corridors that belonged to the Slytherins, they threw the invisibility cloak over themselves. This wasn't child's play. For a Gryffindor to be caught on Slytherin turf – especially this late at night – was to be asking for all kinds of trouble.

James and Remus crept quietly along the dark walls. With the clever map as their aid, they managed to avoid any sudden confrontations with Slytherins, and soon they were near the place where Peter still was marked to be located. The door was closed, but when they pressed their ears against it, muffled voices could be heard through it.

They instantly recognized Peter to be among them.

"I did what you asked okay. Isn't that enough? I don't like sneaking around and lying to people."

There was laughter and some inaudible talk, which resulted in more laughter among the unseen persons. James and Remus stared at each other with a mixture of horrified disbelief on their faces.

A familiar drawl could be made out through the door, and there was no mistaking it – Lucius Malfoy was speaking. "Well," he said, "I'd give you points for trying, certainly, but if I was you…" He paused. "…I'd think of how important it is to really apply oneself in one's work. Wouldn't you say so, Pettigrew?"

"I'm still not sure about this," Peter seemed to mumble, and the boys outside of the door had to strain themselves to hear the words.

Someone else answered him: "We've told you, we'll take good care of you. Isn't that what you want?"

"Sure," said Peter, with a hint of hopelessness in his voice. "I have to get back, the other's will wonder where I've been."

More laughter.

"Hah. I bet they've not even realized you've been gone, Pettigrew. Those… _friends_… of yours don't seem to care very much, do they?"

James and Remus recognized Sirius' brother, as they both sounded very much alike. James hurriedly signed for them to back away from the door and hide in a dark corner, but it was a while before the door opened and let out one of their best friends. Peter looked thoroughly depressed, and didn't seem to enjoy the fact that Aaron Lemaire had his hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off.

"I still wish you'd just leave me alone," Peter muttered, before resolutely walking away.

The two boys under the invisibility cloak stayed perfectly still and watched the door close. Then they hurried in front of it once more, and could just make out Lemaire's voice again, through the wood.

"I think we better keep an eye on him. Perhaps rough him up a little more? He won't blab, will he?"

Regulus snorted. "That one? He's so cowardly I'm even surprised we were able to scare him into doing it."

They couldn't really hear Malfoy's answer, but suddenly they noticed footsteps were approaching from the other side, and James hastily dragged Remus to the side by his arm. They just made it before the door opened for the second time and Regulus and Lemaire came out. Nothing more was said between them as they continued towards the Slytherin common room further down the corridor.

Remus silently signed for them to leave, and James nodded. Together, he and James walked off in the opposite direction of the disappearing Slytherins, going upstairs again. They didn't take off the cloak until they were back outside of their own common room, and then they just stared at each other. The map had told them that Peter had gone straight upstairs, and that he was now alone in their bedroom. James ran both his hands through his hair, several times, and took off his glasses to wipe his eyes.

"I…" he started, and then went quiet again, feeling dumb. He put on his glasses again.

"We can't call him on it," Remus said. "There is something major going on, and I think we'll have to figure out the big picture before we blow it all up."

James nodded. "Sirius is gonna go berserk, though," he added.

"Oh, yes," agreed Remus. "We need to find him."

"Aw Moony, he's gonna kill us if we interrupt him now!" whined James.

"He's gonna kill Peter if he doesn't get time to calm down before seeing him after we've told him what happened," countered Remus.

James grudgingly agreed to this and after another quick look on the map, they found that their friend still was with his date in the third floor corridor.

"What about her?" asked James and pointed at the now moving dot belonging to Hermione Granger.

She was clearly about to leave the library.

"We need to convince her to talk to us, for real this time," Remus said. "Aw, crap! It looks like she's gonna come out right on top of them. We better hurry before Sirius does anything stupid."

The boys took off down the corridor.

* * *

**Author's End Note: **

1. A bit of a transport this one, but I needed it to be this way to be able to get to the next part. This chapter was originally twice as long, and I had to cut it in the middle, even though I really wanted to give you all of it. Look out for the rest in a couple of days, though ;)

2. I'm not gonna discuss the plot, or give out teasers about what is going to happen with the characters' development. All this is all pretty much decided already, even if there's A LOT left of this story. But I LOVE (truly, madly, deeply, you guys amaze me!) hearing your theories about it all, so please, don't hesitate to drop me your marvelous thoughts, they are more than greatly appreciated! Leave a review or PM me, whatever you prefer.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Author's Note:** A little Friday treat. Beta work by the ever so darling Beatlechicksteph as usual. Please drop a review after the chapter.

**Chapter 13**

Hermione Granger closed the book she'd been reading and rubbed her eyes. The library was dark, and she hadn't heard anyone else move about for hours. Since it was close to midnight, she thought it safe to get back to Gryffindor tower, hoping that the party would have died down by now. These last couple of days she'd started to feel somewhat like a hermit, and she wondered a little grimly whether her voice would even work, were she to use it.

She walked stiffly, having been sitting in the same position for so long, and was painfully reminded of the stupid fall she'd taken earlier. Every muscle hurt. The librarian wasn't in during the weekend, and she didn't see anyone else on her way out. Students usually didn't come to the library on Saturdays, and that's why she liked it.

Hermione silently closed the library door behind her, listening for footsteps or any other signs telling her if someone would be in the vicinity. It would just be the cherry on top of everything else if she happened to get caught for being outside after curfew. She walked quietly along the badly lit corridors, and after turning a corner, she suddenly found herself staring at a snogging couple, seated in the deep sill of a dark window. She felt her heart give an even more painful twitch than her muscles had done when she sat up earlier, when she immediately recognized Sirius Black along with the blonde girl from the breakfast table.

She stopped dead, her eyes widening. Deep down, she knew she had no claims to Sirius and that she had more or less kept him at arm's length by choice, but that didn't make it any easier, did it now? Her newly discovered feelings for him made even her thoughts irrational.

The Hufflepuff girl – Bethany Webster – had noticed at once that they weren't alone any more. She momentarily broke away from Sirius' face, giggling in an embarrassed way.

Sirius looked up too, and if he was surprised upon seeing Hermione standing before them, he didn't show it. He just narrowed his eyes somewhat, but said nothing, still holding Bethany close in his arms.

Hermione understood at once that this sudden renewed interest in dating had everything to do with her, and she gritted her teeth.

_Rebellious as always, Mister Black._

Finding her voice at last, she was loathing the way it shivered slightly. She managed to get out a courtly "Excuse me," and turned around to make a hasty retreat. There was a hot lump in her throat and she feared that something might burn its way through her chest.

"Wait, stop!" someone shouted, in the way you use when you really don't want to make too much of a sound, but still need to catch someone's attention. It came from the opposite side of the dark hallway, and Hermione turned around by reflex. She groaned upon spotting James and Remus hurrying towards them and decided at once to ignore them and turned around to walk away.

"Bloody hell," hissed Sirius, getting on his feet. "Can't a guy get some privacy around here?"

He glared pointedly at his two mates, but Remus ignored him and went after Hermione instead. She had only managed to take a few steps when he stopped her by grabbing her upper arm.

Hermione winced. "Ow," she said before she could stop herself.

Remus eyes widened. "Did I hurt you?" he asked in an alarmed way.

Hermione rubbed on her arm. "Just bruises," she muttered, making sure not to look up on him.

"Someone care to tell me what the _hell_ is going on?" asked Sirius, getting more irritated by the second.

The blonde girl just sat and stared at the commotion, her mouth slightly opened in confusion. Their private place had become practically invaded by people in little over a minute's time.

"We need to talk to you, Sirius. _Now_. And in private," said Remus, and anticipating his mate's protests, he cut him off before the other could say something: "It is _really_ important!"

Hermione, who still was trying to process the kissing scene she'd just witnessed, didn't feel in the mood to get yelled at some more. She started to turn around again, but Remus still held her beside him.

"We need you too," he urged her.

"What?" she hissed, confusedly. She just wanted to leave.

Sirius glowered. "Can't it wait?" he said pointedly, between gritted teeth.

"No!" retorted James stubbornly. "We need to talk – _now_! And she's coming too." He pointed at Hermione, who felt utterly bemused by the whole thing.

Sirius eyes danced between his closest friends, and frustrated, he ran his fingers through his hair. He sighed and turned to his date.

"We'll have to finish this some other time," he said to her. She pouted and started protesting, putting her arms around Sirius' neck.

At this point, Hermione had bitterly closed her eyes, not at all wanting to witness the way they would say goodbye to each other, and Remus didn't miss her reaction. He hurried to take her arm again – gently this time – and steered her to one of the unused classrooms in the corridor. James was right behind them.

To Hermione's relief, Sirius joined them at once. She didn't dare to think what she'd do if she had been forced to sit there, knowing that Sirius Black was outside, kissing some girl goodnight. It was bad enough having seen him so close to her in the first place.

Sirius probably would have slammed the door to the classroom shut if it wasn't for the fact that they weren't supposed to be out of their common room at all, and loud noises would do no good. Instead, he threw himself down in a chair and waited for someone to explain what was going on.

The room was silent. James and Remus looked at each other. Then Remus turned to Hermione.

"Are you sure you're okay? That fall earlier looked really nasty."

Hermione watched him for a second, but then nodded, grudgingly. "It was mostly my pride that got hurt." She looked closer at him, and frowned. "Why are you asking? I thought we'd reached some kind of point where we were to keep away from each other?"

The bitterness was evident in her voice, and Sirius sneered, starting to speak. James cut him off, before he got a chance to say anything hurtful.

"Do you have any idea why you fell?" he asked her.

Hermione started to feel annoyed with them all. "The stairs were covered in frost and I slipped. Are we really here to make fun of me being ungraceful? If so, I'd rather leave." She started to get up from the chair she'd sat down in, but when Remus spoke again, she froze, half standing.

"You didn't slip. Peter cast a trip jinx on you."

Hermione suddenly felt like all the blood in her head had disappeared, and she swayed slightly, gripping the table top in front of her. She blinked and then carefully sat down again. "What did you say?" she asked Remus, her eyes wide and looking directly into his.

"Is anyone going to bother telling me what you are talking about?" growled Sirius.

Remus nodded, and then he told his mate how Peter had left during the game, and that when he'd followed him, he'd seen him jinxing Hermione.

"She fell from the top of the stands. Could've broken her neck," he said, nodding his head at Hermione. She had gone totally quiet and was staring at her hands on the desk in front of her.

"Wait, what?" said Sirius, sitting up a little straighter. "Are you telling me he did it on purpose?"

Remus nodded grimly.

"And that's not all of it," James interjected. "We've just seen Peter in some kind of meeting with a couple of Slytherins. In the dungeons! We traced him on the...eh," he glanced Hermione's way, "followed him down. And when we got there, we overheard them talking. It seems like he did it on their orders!"

The room had gone quiet. Both Hermione and Sirius stared at Remus and James.

Remus turned to Hermione now, and using a soft tone of voice, he said: "We have always thought Peter to be one of us. I _know_ you know something about him that we probably don't."

He reached out and took her hand over the desk, his golden brown eyes almost pleading with her. "And if you somehow do know what I am, then you also know that I'm really good at picking up things. Please don't lie to us any more."

Hermione looked at the hand that held hers in it. If only Dumbledore had been back, she could take them to see him, to let _him_ figure out an explanation to all their questions, but he had told her he wasn't to return until Sunday evening. As it was now, she was once more alone and cornered in a dark room, by the three living people she cared most about in the world.

She sat quiet for a long time, thinking about the fact that Peter already seemed to have gone over to the other side, and that he actually had tried to hurt her. This meant that they needed a plan, and they needed it right now.

"Hermione?" said James, waking her from her thoughts.

She sat quiet for another moment. She was tempted, oh so tempted to tell them everything.

"You won't believe me," she whispered hoarsely, and took back her hand.

Unexpectedly enough, it was Sirius who answered her. "Try us," he said, also in the same gentle tone of voice that Remus had used.

It was like most of his anger had been wiped away by the sudden insight of Peter's actions, and she lifted her head to look into his eyes. They were still the same dark gray, almost black in this gloom, but the last couple of days' hint of hate was gone from them.

Hermione breathed in heavily and put her forehead down on the desk, closing her eyes. What could she say? How could she even begin explaining? Her heart had started beating faster than she'd ever thought possible, and she felt beyond nervous. She sat up again, slowly, and glanced at Remus, knowing that he'd known exactly how much her pulse had quickened.

"Take your time," he just said.

_This is it then._ Her hands were shaking in her lap.

She swallowed and then started, hesitantly: "You can't tell Peter _anything_ of what I'm about to tell you." Her eyes went between the three of them. "Or pass along _anything_ to anyone else. This is the first and only condition I have. I won't even be thinking of telling you anything at all, without a sincere promise."

All three of the boys nodded grimly. They all felt slightly bewildered and a little shocked by the discovery that one of their oldest friends had turned out to have some pretty big secrets, and the fact that he knowingly tried to throw someone down the stands was almost unthinkable. If Remus hadn't been there, witnessing it, they'd _never_ believed it.

Now Hermione sat quiet for while, racking her brain to come up with something that would even _begin_ to explain anything. It was nothing like telling Minerva, with the aid of Dumbledore by her side. She was all alone here.

"I-," she started, but then fell silent again. This was nearly impossible. "I'm not from here," she settled with. "I woke up on the grounds of Hogwarts during the summer, and Dumbledore took me in."

This wasn't exactly news, her being new around the place, she knew, but she had to start somewhere.

No one said anything, until James asked: "What do you mean 'woke up'?" with a hint of confused suspicion in his voice.

Hermione had to use all her strength to keep her breathing under control. She felt the anxiety and slight panic build up with every word she spoke.

"I sort of fell backwards…"

She wrung her hands together, they were cold as ice, and her mouth was dry. She hesitated and almost laughed with nervousness at the absurdity of what she was about to say.

"…through time. Twenty years. And woke up in 1976."

The dark classroom was absolutely quiet, and all three boys just looked at her. Hermione kept all focus on her hands in her lap.

"See," she whispered. "You ask for the truth, but it isn't always so easy, is it? Now you'll think I'm even more loony than before."

Sirius stared at her for a few moments, then he leaned towards Remus, who had observed Hermione without saying anything. "Moony?" he asked, still keeping his eyes upon her.

"Guys, I'd swear she's telling the truth," Remus said, tilting his head a little. His brows were slightly lifted in curious astonishment.

"And you're better than _Veritaserum_ mate," said James happily. "So, Miss Granger. Where did you say you came from, again?"

Hermione swallowed, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. "1996," she said, her voice shaking.

The room went quiet again, until James cleared his throat and spoke: "Well, that's practical then. Knowing what will happen and stuff. One could probably place a few bets…" he babbled on, seemingly at a loss of what to say in a situation like this.

"You're actually serious," Remus said, cutting James' rambling off. He was frowning in an amused sort of way.

Hermione nodded.

"So, you're from the future?"

She shrugged a little in confirmation. How could one answer something like that without sounding like a crazy person?

"And that's how you knew I'm a werewolf... I'm guessing that potion you're making isn't really supposed to be around yet, is it?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Then...thank you," he replied quietly. "For making it." There was real gratitude in his voice.

"But how? And why? And...what?" The confusion and slight disbelief that was mirrored in all three boys faces got its outlet in James' questions.

"Am I the only one that would like some actual proof that she is from...'the future'?" Sirius asked the others, with a touch of the famous Black arrogance to it.

It was probably a good sign that Sirius' attitude managed to make Hermione irritated, since the flare of annoyance that went through her wiped away some of the horrible anxiety she'd experienced up until then. She glared at him and then turned to face them all.

"I know that one of you is carrying that map of yours. Take it out."

None of them spoke, but their expressions revealed all too well that they knew exactly what she was talking about. A few moments passed, and then James produced the blank piece of parchment, looking a little sheepish while doing so. He placed it on the desk between them.

Hermione took out her wand and tapped the map, saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," while doing so. The blank paper immediately started filling in with the outlines of Hogwarts. She then said: "Mischief managed," and the parchment was once more totally blank.

The three Marauders stared at her.

"My best friend inherited the map," she explained. "I've used it many, many times. Along with James' invisibility cloak."

"My cloak?" James sat up straight. "You mean to say I pass along the cloak to someone? Wait...do I have a kid?" His eyes were huge.

Hermione didn't answer him. She was looking at Sirius, who sat watching the map that now lay dormant on the table.

"The reason I knew about those wards, Sirius..." she spoke quietly.

He raised his head to meet her eyes.

"...is because that before I ended up here, I had been living quite some time at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. I know the house well, and I've read a lot of the books in the Black library."

Sirius still held her gaze for a while. Then he shook his head in disbelief and gave a short laugh without any real traces of humour in it.

"All this..." he said. "Everything... It's insane. I mean – time travel?"

She ignored this and said, quite fiercely, "I didn't ask for any of it, you know, but you have to do the job that's in front of you. That's it."

"If I have to be honest," Sirius mused, "then I'm actually not too surprised by this. I've known all along there was something funny about you. And as curious as that last piece about you living in my house made me, maybe you should back up a little," he suggested. "Tell us more. Why are you here? Now? And what does Peter have to do with it?"

"Dumbledore sent me," said Hermione. She had gotten most of her breathing under control at last, and was most relieved to see that they actually seemed to believe her. At least they didn't protest or laugh at her.

"The Dumbledore from…1996 was it?" asked Remus, and Hermione nodded, not really wanting to talk about what had happened there, but she knew she wouldn't be so lucky.

And sure enough, Remus continued: "What I wonder," he went on "is what happens to make Albus Dumbledore send a sixteen year old girl twenty years back in time?"

Hermione silently tried out several different answers to this, but nothing felt like it would do.

She sighed.

"Everyone dies," she finally got out.

* * *

Hermione's last statement had left them all in silence, watching her. She fully understood that this whole thing had to be hard to believe, but even so, it felt wonderful to be able to be honest with them for once.

"It's a long story, and quite complicated. Sure you're up for it?"

James, Sirius and Remus all looked at each other.

Remus spoke: "You want to tell us the story about how you came to end up twenty years into the past? I believe we could try to find time for it. It's not like we have something better to do." Remus even sounded amused. He changed into a more comfortable position at the same time, putting his feet up on a chair and gesturing for her to continue.

Hermione, on her part, couldn't stop the sullen thought that now wriggled through her brain, that Sirius actually _had_ been doing something rather pleasant before all this started, and that he perhaps just wanted to get back to that stupid blonde... But she shook the irritatingly irrational thoughts away. All that would have to be addressed at a later time.

_So... Where to begin?_

She sat up straight in the hard chair, unknowingly going into what Harry and Ron had called her 'lecture mode'.

"Well... It all began with a prophecy. No, don't look so skeptical, some of them actually are real, even though I never believed it myself."

She almost smiled at the boys' reaction, and how much it had mirrored her own when she'd found out at first.

"The prophecy spoke of the one who was to bring down the Dark Lord. It was fairly specific, and when Voldemort-"

Coughs and hissing filled the room.

"-was informed of it, he immediately set out to kill the one he thought it to be. The boy in question was only a small child, not even a year old. His parents had taken them all into in hiding, under a _Fidelius Charm_..."

Hermione looked questioningly at them, but they all nodded in understanding, so she continued.

"It turned out that their Secret Keeper betrayed them. He told Voldemort the location of the house, and the Dark Lord had no trouble entering it upon arriving there. He first killed the father, then the mother. But when he turned his wand upon the small boy, something happened. The _Avada Kedavra_ that should have killed him backfired and hit Voldemort himself instead. No one understood how it could be, but that small boy grew up to be the only one to ever have survived a direct hit of the Killing Curse."

She didn't exactly know how to tell the next part. It would be insensitive whatever she said, but she made sure to catch James eyes before continuing.

"Harry Potter grew up to be famous, and my best friend."

Another thundering silence. Hermione felt like this whole evening had been about stretches of time where no one said anything, but that those silent parts in themselves probably had said far too much.

"Harry Potter?" James finally asked. "'Potter', as in _my name_?" He gestured to himself and Hermione confirmed it with a nod of her head. "I have a son?" he said, sounding more than disbelieving.

"Prongs, didn't you listen to the rest?" Remus said, with a hint of pain in his voice. "The kid's parents died that night!"

It finally dawned on James that this was true, and horrorstruck he turned back to Hermione.

"But...? What...?"

Sirius interrupted them, and with an intense look upon him, he asked the question Hermione didn't want to answer: "Who was the Secret Keeper?"

Hermione blinked several times, then looked straight into his eyes. "Peter Pettigrew," she said.

Another stretch of silence. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

"It was supposed to be Sirius at first, but James and Sirius together figured that everyone probably would expect that, and that it would be better to let Peter do it instead. Meanwhile, Sirius planned to take on the heat himself, in an attempt to throw off some of the Death Eaters that were after them.

"When Sirius Black heard about the horrible attack on his best friend and his family, he went on a furious hunt for Peter, and two days later, they faced off in the middle of a muggle street. Peter confessed his deeds, but directly after, he blew away part of the street in an awful explosion that killed everyone within twenty feet of himself. During the commotion, he managed to slink away, disguised in his rat form. Twelve muggles died, and the only thing that the Aurors found when they got to the place were their bodies, with Sirius Black standing over them, his wand drawn."

Hermione wiped at her eyes. "Peter Pettigrew was assumed dead, since all they could find of him was one of his fingers, so the blame for the deaths of the muggles fell upon Sirius. And because no one alive knew about the change of Secret Keeper, everyone believed him to be the one who betrayed the Potters too. Sirius Black was accused of being a Death Eater, and sent directly to Azkaban without a trial."

"Whoa," said James, stretching out his legs and leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head.

Remus had got up and was walking around between the desks. Sirius on his part said nothing.

Hermione continued: "Everyone celebrated the downfall of Voldemort's reign, most of his Death Eaters were captured, and the wizarding world lived pretty much in peace for the next decade. At age eleven, Harry started his schooling at Hogwarts, and ended up in Gryffindor, just like me. We were in the same year."

She bit her lip, her voice going a little rough. "He looked _just_ like you, James, and everyone kept telling him so. It wasn't until I got here that I understood exactly how alike you were. You could have been twins."

Clearing her throat, she said, "Well... Anyway, it all started pretty much our first year. Voldemort was slowly returning to life, something that Dumbledore always believed him to do. We came upon him and his followers at several times, but it wasn't until our fourth year that he achieved the means to retrieve his corporal body and finally gathered his forces around him. The Death Eaters were once more at large, and the fighting started for real."

Hermione glanced at Sirius. He had followed Remus' example and was now standing up, staring down at his feet, hands in his pockets. "Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban prison a year before, and had managed to sniff out Peter Pettigrew at last, and got him to admit to his betrayal one more time, this time in front of Remus Lupin."

She turned to look at the young werewolf. "Remus could finally learn the truth about what had happened so many years ago. Peter got away again, but for Sirius, this at least meant that _someone_ believed him.

"Dumbledore started gathering quite a few trustworthy people around him, with the goal of resisting and fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The group was called _the Order of the Phoenix, _and both Sirius and Remus were in it, of course. Its Headquarters were held at Sirius' house at Grimmauld Place."

Now Hermione paused. She didn't want to tell them what happened next. But she had started the whole thing, and there was nothing to it but to finish it.

"At the end of our fifth year, there was a battle at the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries. There were six students there, including myself, Harry and our other best friend Ron. We stood up against a handful of Death Eaters and almost didn't make it out alive. That's where I got the scar on my chest," she said to Sirius who had seated himself on top of a desk a row away. He didn't answer, but kept watching her while she was telling the story.

"Finally, help came, in the form of several members of the Order, who had been notified of the happenings. After it all had ended, there was only one casualty."

Hermione kept her eyes on the wand still in her hands since she'd used it on the map, and she kept twirling the piece of wood between her fingers.

"Sirius Black died that night, courtesy of his cousin Bellatrix's Killing Curse."

Sirius breathed in and out deeply and covered his face in his hands for a moment. "Bella...," he whispered, almost inaudible. Then he looked up. "So we're all dead?" he asked her fiercely. "Him too?" He pointed at Remus who now stood by the windows.

She nodded. "Yes. But not until later. We more or less all moved in at Headquarters after the battle at the Ministry. We were training all the time, and planning the resistance. Remus and I became very close friends," she said in a low voice.

The boy by the window looked up at her and smiled. "Of course we were, I've felt it ever since you first got here." He took one last look outside and then got back to them. "So this is why you hardly could look at any of us in the beginning? You knew us to be dead?"

"Pretty much, yes," she said, giving him something meant to be a smile, but she feared it only came out as a grimace.

"And to make a very long story short; Voldemort finally managed to take over the Ministry of Magic, and gained absolute power. Awful, _horrible_ things were being done to muggles and muggleborns. Hogwarts was left in ruins after an attack that reduced more than half the castle to dust, and when the Order at last set out for one last stand... We lost. The last thing I remember is seeing _everyone_ dead on the ground, but for Dumbledore and me. We were totally surrounded, when Dumbledore suddenly hit me with some unknown spell, shouting that I 'need to change it'. In turn, I see _him_ being hit by the green light of the _Avada Kedavra_, and then I wake up in the hospital wings at Hogwarts, twenty years in the past, with the same man I've just seen dying sitting beside me."

Now it was Hermione's time to get up on her feet. She stretched her stiff arms and legs a little, and twisted her hair into a messy bun at the nape of her neck, securing it with the wand in her hand.

"I'm really sorry for having been lying to you." Her voice was low and sincere. All eyes were upon her. "It's just, the whole thing with Peter being part of your group, I couldn't risk anything, not knowing where he stood. I tried so hard not to judge him, but the knowledge of what the Peter I'd come to know of, had done made it harder than I'd ever thought."

"Eum," said James. "What _are_ we going to do about Peter? I can't believe he did what he did, but..." His voice carried something close to distress. "I actually don't think he's in that deep yet, he seemed pretty depressed about having to hurt Hermione when he left the dungeon."

Remus nodded. "I think they've bullied him into it. And to be honest, I feel like we perhaps have neglected him lately. But still, all that..."

Sirius was still quiet and had a look on his face Hermione found hard to read. She knew that treachery and betrayal were the absolutely worst things in the world for the young man, and she wondered if he'd be able to keep his temper. She walked to stand in front of him where he sat on the desk, and their eyes met.

"He hasn't done any of those things I told you about yet," she said to him in a low voice, and got a somewhat irritated look in return.

"But you say his actions will lead to the death of us all?"

"History isn't set in stone. And any personal feelings I might have right now will have to come second to the greater mission. Even when it comes to Peter."

Sirius snorted disdainfully. "He tried to kill you earlier today!"

"I really mean it, Sirius. If I manage to achieve what I have taken upon myself to do, none of you will be hurt. _That_ is my first priority right now. So many things are at stake, not only for the three of you, but for the whole wizarding world and even further. I didn't go into details about what will happen, but believe me when I say I won't hesitate to give my life to see to it that it doesn't. I have to admit I carry no greater love for Peter Pettigrew here in this place, but personal feelings come second. If we can deprive the Death Eaters of one soldier, it's great news."

Sirius sighed. "So it's not too late to help him?" he asked, surprisingly calm. Hermione was so relieved that she gave him a small smile.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I know he's always been your friend, and I think it would be good to try. Maybe just be there for him, try to boost his confidence, those kinds of things. But you have to be extremely careful about telling him _anything_ about me. If Voldemort would somehow get knowledge about my existence..."

No one in the room needed for her to finish that sentence.

"Who else knows about you?" Sirius asked.

"Only Dumbledore and McGonagall," she answered, and then turned to James and Remus. "I guess Lucius Malfoy was among the Slytherins that you saw tonight?"

They both nodded confirmedly. "Malfoy, that Lemaire guy and...," Remus glanced at Sirius. "And Regulus."

Sirius grimaced. "Of course. My little brother will have his career pretty much staked out from now on."

Hermione sat down again, this time on top of the desk next to Sirius.

"You don't know everything about Regulus," she said, softly.

"Meaning...?" he asked, his eyes burning black in the gloom.

She hesitated. "You have to understand that I don't know everything that will happen. I'm not even supposed to be born yet! And me being here in the first place, so connected to Dumbledore, will of course affect the cause of history. Things will change, and they probably already have. But I believe that what I know about people's characteristics, will still be something to hold for true. And what I do know about Regulus..."

Sirius stared at her, only inches away in the dark.

"Sirius, what I know of him from my time is that he gave his life in order to try to bring down Voldemort, and this without anyone knowing it until much later. He has good in him. I hope we will be able to persuade him to choose the right side, somehow."

Sirius stood up hastily, and turned to stand right in front of her, his face shining unnaturally white in the gray light. "Regulus did what?"

He was so close to her, and all her instincts told her to reach out and touch him, but she didn't dare. Not when he was so upset. And she didn't know if he still was the least interested in her anymore.

"He changed sides," she said again, looking up into his face.

The boy's stony expression changed, and he suddenly broke out into laughter. It was an amused sort of sound at first, and it went on and on until he had to sit himself down on a chair, holding his cramping side as he tried to tone down the hysterics.

"Oh man, our mother's gonna freak," he got out at last, and both James and Remus joined him in his mirth. "You do know this whole thing's insane, huh?" he told Hermione, and his whole demeanour had changed, the hostile suspicion from before was blown away by his laughter.

"Tell me about it," she muttered, but couldn't help feeling uplifted by the change of the mood in the room.

After this, everyone sat silent for a long while, all lost in their own heads, with their own thoughts. Finally, James broke the silence.

"Who's the boy's mother?" he asked, a slight quiver to his voice.

Hermione woke from her own musings, feeling sleepy and tired. She didn't know what the time was, but guessed it would probably be morning soon. "Who?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Harry Potter," he said. "My son."

"I don't think I should tell you," she answered.

"Oh, come on!"

She shook her head. "No, I think it would be really bad if I interfere with things like that. What happens will happen."

"This is my future wife you're talking about!"

She only smiled at James' continued whining. He was rather adorable, and she could hear Remus chuckle from his place at the floor by the wall, where he had been sitting for the last half hour. She'd wondered if he had fallen asleep, but apparently he was wide-awake.

"Hermione?" Remus said, still with that pleasant voice of his, cutting through the darkness.

"Yes?"

"Am I right in assuming that Dumbledore has started that Phoenix Order by now?"

"On the spot as usual, Remus," she answered, yawning. She had sat down on a chair and was now resting her head on her arms on top of the table. Her eyelids felt heavy and she really longed for her bed.

"We want in, you know," was Sirius' immediate statement.

"Of course you do. We'll talk to Dumbledore tomorrow." She rubbed her eyes and sat up again. "I'd really like to get back to Gryffindor tower now, I'm almost falling asleep right here."

The others all agreed, and Sirius activated the map to check for obstacles on the way, but found the whole upstairs all clear. They went together in silence, everyone still pretty much busy with their own thoughts of the grim future Hermione had described to them. When they at last climbed into the abandoned common room, James and Remus said goodnight at once and continued up to their bedroom, but Sirius hung back and took hold of Hermione's hand to stop her before she had the chance to leave up her own set of stairs.

Hermione turned around in mild surprise. Sirius still held her hand in both of his, and looked so intently at her that she almost shivered. He was so close in the dark, and she could discern a slight look of pain in his eyes.

"Before you leave," he said in a low voice that seemed to pierce her very core. "I just wanted to say something. What you've told us tonight, it's quite a secret to carry around, and I... What I'm trying to say is..." He seemed to search for the right words, looking around them for inspiration. "I'm just... I'm sorry." He looked straight at her now, sincerity radiating from him. "For everything. For getting so angry and suspicious. For hexing you. For behaving like a spoilt kid. And for..."

He stopped, but Hermione could almost imagine that he would have said 'for _her_'.

"I'm sorry for trying to hurt you. It won't happen again."

He nearly whispered those last words, and Hermione could feel all her resistance just melting away, only by being so close to him. Sirius' dark hair had fallen into his eyes as he spoke, and she reached out her free hand to sweep it aside. Her fingers came in contact with the soft skin of his temple, and his eyes widened slightly at her action. Hermione could feel her heart beat hard and fast, and both of them felt close to breathless by the suspense of the situation. The very air around them seemed to be on fire.

Sirius lifted one of his hands to Hermione's left cheek and caressed it lightly. Her breath got caught in her throat by the feeling of his fingers on her skin and she couldn't help but to close her eyes and lean into his touch. Softly, he let his right thumb graze her bottom lip, before he slid his other hand to the back of her neck. He buried his fingers in the soft tresses of her nape and then gently pulled her near him.

The feeling when their lips met was like nothing she'd ever felt. She'd kissed boys before, but it never felt like this, like her whole being could explode just by him touching her. His mouth was warm and soft and he managed to hold her even closer to him, seemingly unwilling to ever let her out of his embrace. When they finally broke the kiss, Sirius still held her, leaning his forehead against Hermione's. They were both breathing heavily and slowly, and she couldn't help a huge smile from breaking out on her face. She felt him mirroring her, and then heard him chuckle slightly.

"This was quite a day," he whispered.

She laughed. "Yes," she answered. "There are quite a few things I hadn't anticipated to happen today, that still did. I'm feeling almost confounded." But she smiled all the same.

Sirius smiled too, and he tilted his head to softly kiss her lips one more time, before hugging her close again, burying his face in her hair while doing so. "Goodnight, Hermione," he whispered into her curls, and then they separated and she started up the stairs to her own bedroom.

But before she had managed more than to turn around, he stopped her again.

"Wait."

When she found his face in the dark, there was once more an anxious look on it.

"I just... I want you to know there won't be anyone else. I'll talk to... _her_, first thing tomorrow."

Even in her dazed and sleep-fuddled state, Hermione could see that he clearly didn't want to ruin the moment with the mentioning of the blonde, but at the same time she truly was a little impressed by the fact that he wasn't letting her leave without making sure that she knew his motives.

Gryffindor boys. So honorable. And she had no clue whatsoever about what to make of any of this.

"We'll talk tomorrow, Sirius," she said, a small smile on her lips.

His dark eyes blazed and he suddenly broke out into a mischievous grin, taking her face in both his hands and leaning in for one last, soft kiss.

When they separated at last and Hermione finally got into her bed, it was with a feeling of unbelievable calm and happiness that she'd doubted she'd ever get to experience again. She fell asleep before she'd even hit the pillow.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Author's Note: **Longer than usual, but please read!

Fanfiction . net has been malfunctioning for almost two weeks and I have not been able to update during this time. I just wanted to answer everyone who is wondering, that - yes, I am certainly completing this story. The overall plot is thoroughly thought out until the very end, and it will be finished as soon as I find the time to actually write the bits in between the big pieces.

I never intended for this story to be hasty in its approach, or of the action/kisses/action/kisses/TheEnd-kind (I hope you understand my oh so simplified exemplification). There are lots of those stories already out there, and I can probably suggest a few of the better ones if you think my story is too slow. The whole reason I'm writing this one is because I thought many of the others lacked realism of sorts (as much realism you now can talk about when writing fantasy).

So, to reassure everyone out there: there will be both action and romance - and lots of it, so please don't despair. I have a whole line of chapters written, waiting to undergo beta work (courtesy of the lovely _**Beatlechicksteph**_), before publishing. As long as RealLife (and fanfiction . net) allows it, I intend to update every fifth-sixth day.

And at last - but not least: **YOU!** Every single one of you reading my story, gives me the motivation to keep going. I read every review with a smile and saves them in a special document to look at for inspiration when the words won't come out. **THANK YOU ALL AND EVERY ONE!**

_And today is my birthday. What about leaving me a review for a gift? :) _

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**New chapter 14**

Sirius Black couldn't sleep.

Laying on top of his bed, he stared up at the ceiling, feeling more than a little overwhelmed by everything he had heard during the hours spent in the dark classroom. After a while he found that he unconsciously had pushed himself up on his elbows, looking over at the four-poster bed closest to the door. The lumpy bulge underneath its covers told him that Peter still was in it sound asleep.

He sighed and let himself fall backwards and down again, throwing an arm over his eyes.

_Peter._

How the bloody hell did they think they'd be able to act like nothing had happened? Like he hadn't collaborated with Slytherins behind their backs? And on top of that – were they really going to try and forget that he knowingly tried to hurt a girl by more or less pushing her down the Quidditch stands?

Sirius groaned quietly. _Hermione_. The girl from the future.

It sounded unbelievingly stupid when he thought of it now, but he couldn't help but admit to the fact that so much suddenly was explained when it came to her. How she was able to sneak around the castle like she knew the place by heart. The way she fought. The things she knew.

No, he didn't doubt her sincerity, but he really didn't want to believe what she'd told them. _Peter had betrayed them. _Even if it hadn't happened yet, the fact still remained that in her timeline, he had sold them out. And a person's potential actions had to mean something, didn't they?

In an instant, Sirius' somber thoughts were interrupted by the sudden flash of the memory of soft lips against his. Warm breath mingling together, shutting them both into their own private microcosm, if only for a short while.

He groaned again, covering his face in both his hands. _Oh man, had he screwed this one up._

He had wanted to punish her, for all the secrecy and unknown loyalties, and it wasn't hard to find a girl to help him make a point. There never was.

Sirius knew he would have to pay for it, when the shock of it all had settled. Hell, he would deserve it. He was pretty sure that Hermione had been as swept away by the suspense of the moment as him, and he wouldn't be at all surprised if, come morning, she would regret the kisses shared in the darkness of the common room.

_But those kisses…_

Sirius Black sighed again. He had been such an idiot. Those few stolen moments at the bottom of the stairs to the girls' dormitories had made his heart race faster than a whole day and half a night with Bethany Webster. He should be lucky if Hermione would even speak to him again.

He pulled his covers over his head in an attempt to try to fall asleep at last. Maybe his dreams could solve some of his problems, though he rather doubted it.

* * *

Hermione Granger, on her part, wasn't thinking of anything at all. She had gone from not quite awake to unconscious as soon as her head hit the pillow. When she woke up some time later and remembered last night's events, she experienced such sheer and utter relief that she actually started laughing before even opening her eyes. And to make things even better, she truly believed it to be the best sleep she'd had in years, even though it had just been a few hours of them.

A huge smile adorned her face as she stretched out lazily under her covers. She found her muscles to ache quite a bit, and could count several blooming bruises on her hips and legs. They sort of amused her, as they reminded her of the fall that had started it all.

_The boys knew about her…_

No more lying, no more secrets. Perhaps it was worth it after all, Peter assaulting her, when it led to her having opened up to the rest of the Marauders.

And… Sirius.

His fingers knitted into her hair, pulling her against him. His soft lips against hers.

_Oh._

The sudden image of their embrace in the darkness made her breathless for a second, and she almost gasped, feeling flushed.

But even through the excited racing of her heart, she felt a flash of panic, mingled with irritation. She hadn't planned for those kisses to happen, and it was harder to defend her actions in daylight – although they had been most pleasant. But she certainly wasn't ready to embark upon a relationship, not with the duties she was to take up in just a short while. The Order's work had just started, and the last thing she needed was distractions.

Ah, _feelings_! Such a nuisance they were.

After checking the time she found that she had slept in for the first time in a long time, and that both breakfast and lunch were well over. She'd just have to try to get a hold of some coffee directly from the source. With that thought and a grin on her face, she pulled her curtains aside and started to dress herself.

* * *

Hermione looked around for nosy students in the corridor near the Hufflepuff common room on the first floor, but when she found herself all alone, she went on to tickle the pear in the painting on the wall. She grinned upon finding that the entrance to Hogwarts kitchens hadn't moved during the years, so she snuck in before anyone could notice her. It wasn't common knowledge where to find the place, and she guessed that only a handful of people actually got in there during the years. Most of the students took the food they ate at school for granted, and didn't even reflect upon the fact that someone would actually have to cook it.

After closing the small door behind her, Hermione stopped and watched the bustling room located directly underneath the Great Hall. Hundreds of house elves were working there, and they seemed to be in the midst of preparing for dinner.

While she stood there, admiring their effectiveness, a couple of elves approached her. They weren't timid in their appearance, but moved with an air of professional servants about them. Hermione smiled. Oh, she had been so naive in her younger years. She still didn't approve of the way some witches and wizards treated their house elves, but she knew by now that working at Hogwarts was almost considered a treat for these beings.

"Can we help Miss?" one of them asked her in a high-pitched voice.

"I hope so," she said in a polite way. "My name is Hermione Granger, and I seem to have missed a couple of meals today. Would it be possible to get something to eat, and perhaps some coffee?"

The small elves surrounding her nodded, and she could swear there was a glint of respect in some of the older elves' eyes. Friendliness could get you almost anything in here. She was shown to the end of one of the long tables that mirrored the ones up in the Great Hall, and seconds after, a pot of coffee, eggs and bacon and a couple of sandwiches stood in front of her.

_Lovely! _"Thank you so very much!" she said happily, getting excited nods and squeaks in return and was then left alone to enjoy her meal.

Hermione guessed she shouldn't have been surprised at the fact that even before she had finished her eggs, the small door she'd come in through opened up once more, and three lanky boys stepped through it. She stifled a laugh. _Of course._

A couple of house elves ran forward once more, but it was obvious this time that these certain students were well known to the workers in the kitchen. Hermione watched with approval how all three Marauders seemed to greet the house elves respectfully. She then smiled a little amusedly when the elves in their turn turned and excitedly gestured her way. The look on the boys' faces when they looked up and saw her sitting there with a cup of coffee in her hand was priceless. She waved at them, grinning.

She noticed Sirius staring at her, looking almost a little alarmed. Hermione frowned slightly. Maybe he regretted the events of last night? Or maybe he felt guilty for behaving like a brat the moment he got angry about something. At the thought of this, Hermione actually smirked to herself, feeling oddly content with everything. She wouldn't let Sirius think that he could get away with that kind of behaviour, whatever her feelings for him might be.

Sirius, James and Remus walked over to her and sat down at the same table end. Remus looked as amused as Hermione felt herself.

"Good morning," she greeted them. "Out for a stroll?"

James gave her a sly smile. "I'm actually impressed. I didn't think anyone but us knew how to get into the kitchens, but I guess we'll have to get used to the fact that you seem to be nearly as familiar with this place as us, huh?"

"Just 'nearly', huh?" she commented and raised one of her eyebrows. "I think I could show you guys a thing or two you don't know about." She took a sip of her coffee and watched as this statement sank in among the boys.

"That's so?" asked Remus, still with a crooked smile on his face. He had pulled the coffee pot nearer to him and was now helping himself to a cup, and at the same time observing the girl.

Last night's revelations had left Remus Lupin with an absolute certainty that everything she'd told them was true. Even though the logical part of his brain really _should_ reject the notion of a time traveling girl, his instincts had taken over all thinking. Things had just fallen into place and he had surrendered to it.

Sirius Black, on his part, had stiffened as soon as the excited house elves had squeaked and pointed towards the tables, where he at once recognized the wavy locks. _The same locks he for a moment had buried his face in the night before._

He wasn't easily flustered, but he almost swallowed at the sight of Hermione. She looked different, with a big smile on her lips and some sort of wicked glint in her eyes. He recognized it to be similar to the way she'd looked the time she'd gotten furious with him when he had gotten them stuck in detention together.

_Oh, she was definitely trouble, this one…_

Sirius braved himself, sat down and grabbed a sandwich. "We missed breakfast," he explained. "And I guess you did too?"

Hermione nodded and finished her coffee. "Just woke up." Then she asked: "Where's Peter?"

The three Marauders looked at each other. James cleared his throat.

"Well… He's…"

"He is in the library, working on the Charm's essay due for tomorrow," Remus concluded, and was actually looking a little embarrassed. That didn't happen a lot.

"Ah…" said Hermione. "And you guys ran off at first opportunity?" There was a hint of humour in her voice.

"Sort of," answered Sirius and grinned, looking straight at her. Their eyes locked, and the moment lasted _just_ a little too long.

Remus and James glanced at each other with curious looks in their eyes. They didn't know _what_ had happened between Sirius and Hermione, but something was definitely up.

"It's just a little too weird, all this," Sirius continued, grimacing. He desperately wanted to talk to her alone, but this didn't feel like the moment.

"I get it, I really do," Hermione nodded, playing with the now cold eggs on her plate. "I have a few ideas about how to approach it, but I think we should talk to Dumbledore when he gets back tonight." She smiled and felt a little embarrassed. "Me confiding in you wasn't really part of the plan." She bit her lip. "But it feels great!"

All three boys inwardly agreed that her whole appearance seemed to have changed into one of true composure. The downcast gaze, the hesitant approach, all were gone.

"Keeping things from you was among the hardest things I've ever done," she admitted, in a smaller voice.

"Well, there's no more of that," said James with a grin. "So, tell us about these secrets you think we don't know about Hogwarts?"

Hermione laughed, her eyes glittering. "Oh no, Mister Potter. I rather think I'll keep _some_ things for leverage."

"We'll drag them out of you, you know," Remus teased her.

Hermione snorted, but felt happier than she'd done in a long time. They accepted her, and that was all that mattered.

After a while, they waved goodbye to the house elves and left the kitchen. This time, less sneaking was involved, as the boys' ever present magic map showed them exactly when the corridor outside was free to step out into. James and Remus had tactfully taken the lead together, leaving Sirius to walk behind them, beside Hermione. They had all decided to return to their common room, trusting that Peter would still be working in the library for the better part of the Sunday.

Sirius glanced at Hermione as they walked towards the landing and the staircases. He started to say something he hoped would turn out to be a worthy explanation, apology or whatever needed to get the girl to accept his sincerity. But he was all out of luck, it seemed. Before he got out more than: "Hey, I really wanted to…" there was a voice calling out Sirius' name from behind them.

Sirius groaned and closed his eyes. He had forgotten that they were in hallway outside of Hufflepuff's common room. The timing was horrible.

They all turned around, and watched the blonde Bethany Webster hurrying towards the four of them. She smiled broadly at Sirius, and Hermione felt another irrational spike of jealousy piercing her chest. She still wasn't ready to fully admit to all her feelings for Sirius, but this didn't mean she liked it when girls threw themselves all over him.

"Well," she said with slightly raised eyebrows. "I guess we'll be on our way."

She actually had the audacity to give Sirius a bright smile, and he glared at her in return. This cheered her up slightly, and she left Sirius to his own and joined the other two boys who shot their scowling friend apologetic looks and turned to walk away, starting to climb the all present stairs on their way to Gryffindor tower. The heavy stone steps hardly ever moved during daytime, so their route upwards was pretty straightforward.

"Is there something going on that we should know about?" asked Remus casually when they had reached the second floor.

"Nothing whatsoever," was Hermione's lofty answer, which by itself pretty much told them that it was.

* * *

Sirius did indeed glare at Hermione, who managed perfectly to keep her voice soft and sweet while the Hufflepuff girl approached him. Oh, he knew all too well that this was turning into a game between them. Sirius had not been raised in a Slytherin family without learning to pick up on those slight nuances that could tell so much more than yelling and big gestures did. And Hermione was surprisingly good at it for a Gryffindor he couldn't deny _that_.

He turned to face the perky blonde, who chose that moment to put her arms around his neck. Sirius winced and hoped his mates had managed to get some ways away, because nothing good would come from Hermione witnessing this.

_Oh, for Merlin's sake, why did he have to be so stupid? _He scolded himself. If he hadn't rushed off without thinking, things would have been so much easier.

Well, he _did_ have the reputation of a heart breaker, didn't he?

Sirius sighed, and feeling like the world's biggest jerk, he took a hold of her hands and took them off himself.

"Listen…" he said.

A couple of minutes later, Sirius caught up with the others at the third floor. He was slightly out of breath and seemed to have run almost the whole way up.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked Hermione at once, ignoring his mates who with unmasked interests watched his approach of her.

Hermione silently wondered if she should take the opportunity to get in a few more jibes at him, but decided against it. It would probably be funny to watch him squirm and get annoyed, but she too felt the need to clear the air between them. She nodded, and Sirius put his hand on her lower back, steering her away from James and Remus, while gesturing for them to keep going and give them some privacy. He noticed the smiles they both put on right before turning and walking away, and glowered irritated.

When they were alone in the corridor at last, Sirius put his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and leaned against one of the walls, taking on an almost comically exasperated look. Hermione took a tiny step backwards and fought the urge to brush his hair from his eyes, a little _too_ reminded of what had happened last time she did that.

"Okay," he said intently. "She's taken care of. I know I screwed up, and I guess I could keep apologizing," He paused, looking directly into her eyes, "but you don't seem like the kind of girl that just wants groveling. Am I right?"

The thought of Sirius Black on his knees, begging for her forgiveness fleetingly crossed Hermione's mind, and she almost laughed. But she hastily put that particular picture away, shaking her head a little. _Bad thoughts. _She then met his gaze again, and found that the real Sirius surpassed even the imaginary one from inside her head, and she bit her lip. _Oh boy, this isn't going to be easy… _

"I'm not after a never ending stream of apologies, no," she confirmed, tilting her head slightly.

"Then I'd like to know what _this_ is," Sirius said in a low voice, gesturing pointedly between the two of them. "You can't deny that there's something here?"

Hermione said nothing for a moment, just looking at him, but then she turned her back against the wall and slid down it until she was seated at the floor, her knees bent. She suddenly felt like a first year again, seeing the corridor from this low angle. Everything in the castle had felt so huge back then.

"I guess there's… something," she admitted, keeping her eyes on her knees. Her cheeks were heating up, and there was a tingly feeling in her stomach.

Sirius sat down too down and copied her posture. She could sense his impatience in the way he drew his breath before saying: "But there's a 'but', isn't there? And you are about to tell me why."

Hermione thought she could hear a hint of sharpness in his voice, and was thinking hard on how to make her confused thoughts come out in understandable words that he would accept.

A few seconds passed in silence, and then Sirius reached out his hand and carefully turned her face against him. Hermione felt flustered and swallowed. He was so close, all warm breath and soft lips and so very, very close… But Sirius made no attempt at closing the few inches between them, and Hermione at last managed to pull her gaze from his mouth, looking into his eyes instead. They shone in the dim light of the corridor and he had an unreadable look upon his face.

"I just don't think this-," she started, but went suddenly quiet when Sirius took one of her hands in his. He chuckled slightly at her reaction.

"Please continue," he whispered. She took a deep breath and tried to steel herself to say what was on her mind, but when he started to play with her fingers, she felt it almost impossible to speak even a single word. She groaned at her own reaction and couldn't help but laugh.

_When did I become so weak? _She thought, frustrated.

Sirius just grinned and kept teasing her. "You were saying?" His fingers drew soft circles in the palm of her hand.

Hermione knew exactly what he was doing in trying to distract her, but she smiled anyway. The whole situation was ridiculous. She sighed defeated and leaned her head against Sirius' shoulder, and he settled for putting his arm around her shoulders, pulling her nearer him.

And there they sat together for a while, on the floor in the cold corridor.

"So…" Sirius whispered at last, his cheek leaned against the top of her head. _Man, he could stay here forever, his face buried in her curls._ "…what is _this_, then?" His voice was throaty.

"It's nice, is what it is," Hermione confessed grudgingly, and she smiled when he laughed at her tone and hugged her.

"Yes," he agreed. "It certainly is."

Hermione's thoughts whirled inside her head. Their hands were now clasped together, tightly, and she felt warm and safe and very contented. _Oh, she could sit here forever, breathing in the scent of him. _

She didn't know what to say, but something had to be done.

"It's just, I come with a lot of… issues." She settled for that last word with difficulty, not wanting to talk about the many things that had happened to her. Just the thought of Sirius finding out some of the more serious of them made her shiver.

"Don't we all?" he answered her. "You probably know more about me than I'll ever understand, but that should also mean that you know what kind of seedy background I have." He slowly ran his fingers through the lengths of her hair. "I think we're all pretty messed up in our own way. Look at Remus for instance. He hides it well, but his 'furry little problem' has slowly been eating him up. I swear it has been getting worse every month."

Hermione tilted her head up to watch him. Sirius sat staring at their grasped hands, and his voice had a slight quiver to it.

"You should have seen him during the last full moon, though," he turned his head and whispered directly into her ear. "It was amazing. I never thanked you for helping him, did I?"

"He deserves it," she said, feeling the moment to be strangely intimate, considering that they were in full view out in the chilly hallway.

"And Prongs, well…" Sirius continued, grimacing a little. "He's so infatuated with Evans that he barely can think straight. Poor guy is gonna lose it soon. You don't happen to know anything that could help him, do you?" Hermione felt him smile while he whispered his pleadings for his mate, his mouth blowing tiny, warm puffs of breath into her ear.

"I'll see what I can do," Hermione said, smiling too, but was even so trying to get her thoughts straight.

She felt a pressing need to get serious again. It wouldn't do to just stay in this astonishingly wonderful little bubble, even though she more than enjoyed it. She was not ready to face herself and all the trouble that would come from getting so close to someone, both emotionally and – perhaps even more importantly – physically.

So she tried again. "Sirius," she said seriously, and he pressed her hand a little in confirmation, his face still hidden in the tresses behind her ear. She could feel him breathing slowly into her neck. "There are still things I have to do, things that are more important than anything else in the world. And handling something like _this_ in the midst of it, it's a little too overwhelming. It's just… I didn't exaggerate when I said I have issues to deal with." She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.

"I can't risk getting sidetracked. The vows I've taken are much too important, and to be able to work at all, I'll have to figure out who I am in this place first. I'm starting to think telling you guys about me was a good start, but I still have to deal with other bits of the whole piece."

Sirius just looked at her, then he sat up straight, leaned forward and softly placed a small kiss right on top of the thin scar stretching over her right cheek. Hermione could feel his nose graze her temple, making her dizzy for a second.

"I've never asked about that mark, have I?" he said, ignoring her badly veiled rejection of him.

Hermione felt her heart sink. That particular scene was exactly one of the things she never wanted to tell him about. She didn't think Lucius Malfoy would live to see another day if Sirius were to find out about the attack she'd lived through, even though it wouldn't occur for many many years in this timeline. The scar on her cheek might be small, but its significance was considerably greater. Nowadays, it told her that she could survive through anything they'd throw at her.

"I don't think you have, no," she answered, evasively. "And I won't tell you either. But it's a great example on why I should concentrate on my task."

Sirius said nothing for a few moments, and then he grumbled a little and sat up, looking straight at her. "I knew you would take the Gryffindor approach," he said. "From what I've seen of you, you won't ever back down, will you?" There was a strange glint in his eye, and she could sense a slight disappointment in him.

Then Sirius suddenly got up on his feet again, holding out his hand for her to take. She looked up at him, wondering what was going through his head.

"Well, I'm a Gryffindor too, love, and I never back down either." He smirked. "Come on, we'll freeze to death out here."

Hermione took his hand and got up, with a frustrated feeling that she perhaps wouldn't be able to handle Sirius Black as well as she could have hoped.

Sirius kept a polite distance on their way back to the common room. He didn't press the subject of them getting together and he didn't even try to take her hand. He'd seen too much of James' lack of success in getting through Evans' boundaries while she kept putting him down time and again, to have learned that it probably wasn't the best of strategies to badger her about it.

_But man, did it felt like torture…_ He glanced at the petite witch beside him in the corridor and wanted nothing else but to take her in his arm and push her gently up the wall. The few kisses he'd gotten from her earlier had only made him yearn for more. He bit his jaws together around a frustrated groan and ran his fingers through his hair, mostly to have something to do with them.

Hermione on her part, felt more than a little guilty having rejected him, and stopped when she noticed his sullen look. They were in view of the portrait of the Fat Lady, and she thought it best to address everything before stepping into the crowded common room. Sirius stopped too and turned around facing her.

"I think I should apologize too," she said in a low voice, and when she looked up into his eyes, it took all her strength not to just jump him then and there. _Too complicated, _she scolded herself. "I'm sorry, I really am. I guess you've had quite a couple of bad days, Sirius."

He actually chuckled at this and she smiled in return.

"I've been wondering about the letter you got the other day," she asked him, curiosity colouring her voice. It had been on her mind ever since he'd almost blown up the Slytherin breakfast table.

Sirius studied the girl in front of him. He felt a little stunned from the whole situation, but decided to just ride it out. His life just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Did you know that would happen?" he asked.

"That _what_ would happen?" She still didn't know exactly what the letter had said.

Sirius suddenly stood up straight and fired off such a blindingly handsome smile that she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of it.

"My hag of a mother went just a little too far, one time too many. I denounced all familiarity with the _Noble House of Black_." His voice dripped of acid when he uttered those last words, but he continued. "I haven't got an answer yet, though. I'm hoping for something exciting, preferably a nasty hex of sorts." His eyes gleamed.

Hermione smiled at Sirius' boyish enthusiasm in spite of the seriousness of it all. He noticed her watching him with such fondness in her eyes that it took all his strength to keep his distance from her.

"The Sirius Black I knew left home at age sixteen," she explained. "I didn't know why though, he never discussed the immediate reasons for it with any of us."

Sirius shook his head disbelievingly, still smiling. "It must have been destined then. I still can't grasp the fact that you know me. Or some older version of me. Are we even the same persons?"

"I don't know," she said. "I'm more than confused about it all myself."

They stood looking at each other, the air full of the unspoken things neither of them knew how to approach.

* * *

It wasn't until eight in the evening that Hermione got an answer to the message she'd left for Dumbledore earlier. She left the company of Lily and a couple of other Gryffindor girls in the common room, and went straight for the portrait. She stopped for a second, to make sure that the three Marauders had seen her get up. They in turn had prepared excuses to get rid of Peter who had joined them after his schoolwork was done. None of them seemed to know how to treat him, and Hermione knew that they really needed to get their act together if they were to pull this off. Hermione headed out before the others, wanting the opportunity to speak with Dumbledore before the boys got their chance to ask questions.

She passed the gargoyle, got up the winding staircase and opened the door. The Headmaster's office was as beautiful as always, books and trinkets everywhere. A fire flickered merrily in the grate, casting a warm glow over the room.

Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, and had an unreadable look on his face. But upon the sight of his ward, he broke out into a pleasant smile.

"Hermione, please come in!" he said, flourishing his wand. "Tea?"

"Yes, please, Sir," she answered gratefully, and took her usual place opposite him at the desk. "How did it go?" she asked a little anxiously, putting milk in her tea.

Dumbledore hummed. "Well, I didn't manage to collect the cup, but your intelligence about the Lestranges' being in possession of it seems to check out. I followed several trails that all points to the fact."

"So this would mean you know where it is?" Hermione said, excitement lining her voice.

"I would say so," Dumbledore confirmed, smiling happily. "But the Lestrange Estate has been made unplottable, and I've spent several futile attempts at finding it. Nothing has worked out yet, and I fear we need help with this one."

Hermione nodded absentmindedly in agreement, her mind immediately working on the problem. Dumbledore watched her closely with interest. He was sure something was different.

"But enough about that," he said. "You seem to have something on your mind?"

Hermione got woken from her thoughts, marveling at the skills Dumbledore possessed in reading other people, even without Legilimency, and she made a small grimace.

"You could say so, Sir."

She started telling him about the last days' incidents at Hogwarts. Dumbledore's eyes flashed for a second when he learned about Peter Pettigrew's anonymous assault on her, but said nothing when she confessed that the three other Gryffindors now had learned of her origins.

"They're quite insistent when they want something," she concluded a little embarrassed, taking a sip of her tea.

Dumbledore kept his eyes on her during her whole speech. "And how do you feel about it all?" was his first question when she had stopped retelling the events.

Hermione sat down her teacup and pulled her legs up under her in the chair, looking out of the high windows at the dark, snowy grounds for a moment. When she turned back to him again, he was amazed by the bright smile breaking out on her face.

"I feel great," she said, with such joyfulness that the headmaster couldn't help his own smile from widening. "I guess I hadn't really grasped how stressful I found it to keep things from those three, especially when they just kept coming closer the more I tried to push them away." She shook her head at the thought of their stubborn persistence.

"And their reaction to it all?"

Hermione thought of Sirius' advances and had to fight a sudden blush from spreading over her cheeks. She cleared her throat and took a hold of the porcelain cup again to try to divert some of the attention.

"They actually seem to believe me, something I don't think would have been possible if Remus and James hadn't seen Peter's actions first hand."

"Hmm, yes. It seems to me that we indeed need to do something about that whole situation." He popped some sort of a sweet into his mouth, but didn't offer Hermione one, having learned by now that she always turned them down.

"Where are the boys now?" he asked her, and Hermione smiled.

"Right outside the gargoyle, under James' handy invisibility cloak."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Of course they are. Well then, let's invite them up. I think we might need to teach those three a lesson before we start though. Just follow my lead."

He winked at her and Hermione laughed. The man really had an odd sense of humour!

He waved his wand in the air and Hermione knew that the gargoyle downstairs would invite the three Gryffindors to come up. Just a short while later, there was a knock on the door. He opened it with another flick of his wand and James, Sirius and Remus got in.

Dumbledore stood up and greeted them with a serious look on his face, no smile in sight whatsoever. He pointed them all towards the seats around the fireplace. Hermione got up too, trying her best not to grin at the boys' apprehensive expressions.

"Well… I believe you've had quite a few days," Dumbledore began gravely, when everyone had taken their seats.

All three Marauders started looking a little guilty, like they suddenly were expecting some sort of a scolding from the Headmaster. Hermione figured that it probably just dawned on them that they'd butted into Dumbledore's secret war plans by more or less forcing the truth from her. She smirked inwardly and sat straighter in her seat. This could be fun.

Dumbledore had alone remained standing, and in the flickering orange lights from the fire, the man in dark purple robes looked highly impressive. Shadows danced over his face and his usually bright blue eyes were dark in the gloom.

"Am I correct in my understanding that you boys have obtained some highly classified information?"

His voice was low and unexpectedly intense. Hermione had to press her fingernails into the palm of her hand to stop herself from breaking out into giggles, because the anxious looks on the Gryffindor boys' faces were just precious.

"Eum…" started James, glancing her way, looking for help.

But she too had adopted the same serious expression as the old man, and now she let a deep frown play on her face.

"We kind of happened to find some things out, and then it all snowballed from there," explained Remus. He had actually gone a little pale.

Sirius said nothing, but seemed as uncomfortable as the others.

Dumbledore started pacing slowly around the group of armchairs where they all were seated. The only sounds that could be heard in the room were the crackling from the fire, and Dumbledore's occasional humming.

He stopped at last, sighing deeply and melodramatically. "Very well," he said. "What is done is done." He turned to Hermione. "I see no other solution to these sudden… change of plans, than to commence emergency protocols. Do you agree?"

Hermione found it very hard to not roll her eyes at the man's theatricals, but she actually found them rather fun this time. She started to get how easy it was to play with people, and why he liked it.

With Dumbledore's insistent gaze upon her, she nodded solemnly; though she hadn't missed the humorous twinkle he'd shot her before turning away again. She glanced at the confused looking boys who had all gone quiet, making sure to add a regretful tone to her voice.

"I don't like it any more than you, Sir, but it has to be done." She casually took out her wand and placed it in her lap, trying to make as little fuss about it as possible, but at the same time making sure the boys saw her doing it. Remus and James stared at her, then at each other. The mood in the room was more than tense.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Sirius eyes had grown in his face. He had such a worried look upon his handsome features that Hermione for a second felt bad for him.

Dumbledore turned to face Sirius, and Hermione saw that he too had grasped his wand visibly, but so that only the tip of it could be seen inside the sleeve of his robes. _Tiny subtleties_, that's what you needed to make someone buy a lie. Dumbledore didn't need to threaten them when they could fill in the gaps themselves, make themselves bring out the nervousness.

"Mister Black, I'm very sorry to say that you all will have to undergo the _Obliviate_ spell tonight. I'll try my best not to remove too much of your memories from this school year, but," he shook his head a little sadly, "but it _is_ a very blunt spell, so let's keep our fingers crossed, okay?"

The last, utterly ridiculous bit was delivered with such keen hopefulness in the Headmaster's voice that Hermione almost didn't manage to keep her own face.

The room had gone dead quiet again. All three of the boys sat straight in their seats, staring at the pair of them with horrified looks on their faces. A couple of seconds passed before anyone said anything, but then came a storm of protests, all at the same time.

"No!"

"You can't do that!"

"We won't…"

All of them went for their wands at the same time. Hermione had waited for just this kind of panicked recklessness to happen. Still seated in her armchair, she threw her arm up and cried: "_Incarcerous!"_ Within a blink of an eye, there were three tightly bound figures dropping down on the rug, still protesting, but mostly they seemed shocked by the turn of events.

Hermione got up slowly from her seat, looking down. "_Silencio_," she whispered, whipping her wand around, making sure it hit all of them. Their shouts went away at once, and their confused faces told her they hardly believed what had happened.

Then she suddenly shot them all a blazing smile and turned around.

"There you go, Sir!" Seemingly satisfied, she happily crossed her arms in front of her, and Dumbledore chuckled.

"I think I'll let you handle this, Hermione." The old man made a polite gesture with his arm and stepped back.

She nodded at him, her eyes twinkling, and then she turned to face the Marauders again. The boys disbelievingly shouted things she couldn't hear. Moving slowly, she walked to stand in front of them where they lay on the floor.

The girl who'd wished nothing but to be left alone was gone, and this young woman before them radiated confidence and competence. Drawn up to her full length, she owned the room.

She held a finger up to her lips. "Shh," she said softly, but there was an unmistakable sharp edge to her voice.

"Now you'll listen to me. There will be no more sneaking around, spying on me or anyone that might be connected to me. No foolish wand waving or impulsive actions that could put everything we've worked for in danger. If I say jump – you jump without questioning. You _will_ respect my privacy and my judgement, and never – _never_ – ever even _think_ about hexing me again. _Is that clear_?"

Hermione was the epitome of fierceness while delivering those last blows of words, and Sirius, James and Remus all nodded at once, their mouths slightly open.

She watched them with narrowed eyes for a truly uncomfortable moment that stretched just a little too long. Then she gave a stately nod in recognition of their answer and performed a wordless _Finite Incantatem_ to let them free again.

"What the hell was that all about?" complained Sirius confusedly; as soon as the ropes were gone and he'd he collected himself enough to be able to sit up in the armchair again.

"You're not going to _obliviate_ us?" asked Remus helping a wincing James up from the floor. They were all trying to process what had happened.

Hermione said nothing, but sat down with a graceful movement and a pleased smile, and just waited for them to finish their mutterings.

Remus had turned his head to study the Headmaster who by now had a sincere look of merriment and awe upon him. Then the young werewolf looked back at his mates and sighed.

"Guys, we've been had," he said, and Hermione couldn't help shooting him a gleeful grin.

Sirius and James watched their friend for a second, then their eyes darted between Hermione and Dumbledore. Dumbledore had bowed his head in appreciation of the young witch and was rewarded a smile from her.

"You pranked us?" Sirius asked, disbelief colouring his voice.

"Well," she said, still enjoying the moment. "You better believe that I meant every single word of my little speech, but on the whole… Yes, I guess so."

"You pranked us?" James repeated. "_You_. And the _Headmaster of Hogwarts. _Played a prank. _On us_." He seemed truly upset and turned to Sirius. "We've never gonna live this one down, mate."

But Sirius had started laughing at the sight of the upset and disheveled James, and after the first confusion had left them, the others joined in.

"You, Miss Granger," Sirius got out between wheezes of air, "are one scary witch!" He looked at her with adoration in his eyes, and Hermione almost shivered with pleasure.

Remus smiled hugely and added: "I agree! For a while there, I truly believed that you would rip a couple of odd months from my memory."

"Just don't cross me, will you," she said to them all, putting on an businesslike air. "I might very well do it anyway if you annoy me too much."

The painful memory of how she'd once modified her parents' minds flashed before her eyes for a second, and somehow this got transferred onto her face, because all present in that room understood at once that these weren't idle threats.

"Now," she continued, gesturing for Dumbledore to join them. "I believe that we were about to tell you a little about our work with the Order of the Phoenix."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Author's Note:** Made readable by Beatlechicksteph, this couldn't be done without her.

**New chapter 15**

Dumbledore silently contemplated Hermione's interaction with the three young men that had managed to learn her biggest secret, and found himself highly spirited by the evident change in both her appearance and behaviour. No longer weighed down by the guilt of having to lie to them, she seemed a whole new person. She was suddenly demanding the attention of the whole room just by sitting straight, determination and confidence showing in her eyes.

Yes, perhaps this development had been for the best.

He made sure everyone present in his office had some tea to help them calm down from the recent ruckus. He cleared his throat and began to speak, mirth colouring his voice.

"I would advise you boys not to take Miss Granger's words too lightly," he smiled and glanced at the witch. "And please remember that I personally stand behind all her decisions, so it would probably be for the best to not oppose her."

"No, sir," came mumbling answers from the Gryffindor boys.

"Very well, I hope you have learned your lesson," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, sir." Both James and Sirius glared at the now very pleased looking Hermione.

She answered by shooting them a cheeky smile, and Remus was the one to return it. He felt more than a little amused by the transformation of the earlier so reserved witch.

Dumbledore, still looking pleased with the evening's progress, put down his teacup. He fixed his eyes on the Gryffindor boys, getting their full attention.

He started to speak in a serious voice.

"Everything you'll hear tonight is to be considered highly confidential. You have to understand that we are in the midst of preparing ourselves for war, and that from now on you will have to respect the chain of command. As I've mentioned before, Hermione is to be considered my right hand, and it is more than likely that we are in possession of information you don't know about."

All three boys nodded in confirmation, glancing at Hermione. The fire coloured her wavy hair a golden brown, and Sirius had to fight down the urge to get up from his seat on the sofa and bury his fingers among the silky tresses. He almost gulped and shook himself back into the present.

Dumbledore started to fill them in on the basics of the secret defense organization the Order of the Phoenix. They learned that it now consisted of nearly thirty people, and that members were constantly searching for additional allies to help with the resistance. A few trustworthy members already held positions inside the Ministry of Magic, and they were able to keep their eyes and ears open for any eventual signs of corruption.

"We have recently managed to arrange for several safe houses to be set up around the country, each one accessible only by specifically tuned portkeys. One of them will be used for official meetings. It doesn't really work to cram so many people in my brother's small living room for much longer." Dumbledore smiled.

By now, the three boys had looks of determination on their faces, but after the evening's dramatic opening, all of them felt hesitant to interrupt their Headmaster.

"I understand that the last days' incidents have made you anxious to join in the fighting, and for this I commend you," Dumbledore said.

"Of course, sir," they answered eagerly.

"But," he continued. "I should let you know that you won't be able to join the Order right now. We had enough trouble convincing the others about Miss Grangers place among them. To introduce even more underage students at this stage would only cause trouble."

"But we want to help!" James said, almost getting up from his seat in indignation. "And if the things Hermione told us were true, we are supposed to be in that Order!"

"Mister Potter…"

"No way!" Sirius interrupted his Headmaster. There was an intense tone to his voice. "I need to do this, Sir! I have just gone against my whole damn pureblooded family, and my own brother is deeply involved with the Death Eaters. It's impossible for me to ignore their stupidities anymore."

His eyes flashed. "Let me fight!"

The passion in Sirius' speech made strange things to Hermione's insides and she felt the need to explain their approach.

"You _will_ be doing something, Sirius," she interjected, apologetically. "It just won't be official Order work. For now it's more important to see to other details too."

"That's right, Mister Black," Dumbledore agreed, cutting off Sirius' protests. "I am well aware of the recent circumstances concerning your family matters, and your brother is someone we have plans for in the future. But for now I believe the pressing point will be how to approach Mister Pettigrew."

At the mention of Peter, both James and Sirius went quiet again. All eyes were upon Dumbledore.

"As you are all aware of right now, the actions of Peter Pettigrew are something that sadly didn't come as too much of a surprise for us. Although I think we should consider us lucky that the outcome of this incident wasn't more serious." He glanced at the witch beside him, but she only shrugged.

"Nothing worse than bruises, sir."

"Yes, lucky indeed," he mused, and then turned back to the three Marauders.

"As far as Peter knows, you haven't noticed anything suspicious. With a little luck, we might make him understand his mistakes before they go any further. But, Peter Pettigrew is primarily to be considered a _hostile element_, and cannot be trusted with any of the information you'll gain from now on.

"I know you boys are both shocked and hurt by Mister Pettigrew's actions, but what you must remember right now is that there is a much bigger picture to see to. All this goes far beyond yourselves and your friendship with Peter, and what I need you boys to do right now is to act like nothing's happened. The future will tell us if he'll find the right way, but that is _not_ our main concern."

"At least he won't be able to sell out James and his family," Remus muttered, in an uncharacteristically sharp tone. He looked furtively at the one of his mates that reminded Hermione so much of her own Harry Potter. Her heart almost ached when she saw the affection these boys shared for each other. No wonder they were so angry about Peter's betrayal.

"Indeed," answered Dumbledore. "That particular event has been avoided, but do not make the mistake of relaxing just because of that. As Hermione has surely told you – history isn't set in stone. Anything can happen, so it is best to be prepared."

Sirius glowered. "So, our 'big mission' is to keep up the pretence that nothing's out of the ordinary? That one of our best friends hasen't just betrayed everything we stand for?" The bitterness was evident in his harsh words.

"Well, yes," said Hermione slowly. "But not only that," she hurried to add, when Sirius drew himself up in preparation for another outflow of angry protests.

She let her eyes glide between the faces of the sullen looking boys.

"I do have another assignment for all of you." She smiled at them, and there was a hint of mischievousness in her eyes. "And I think you'll like where I'm going.

"After the incident in Hogsmeade last week, we decided it's about time we get into some serious training."

"Training?" asked Remus, furrowing his brow.

Hermione nodded. "Dueling and fighting to be precise. And I thought it would be wise to get ahead on strategy planning as well. Death Eater attacks will continue, and probably increase. People will have to be prepared, and many could benefit from learning to handle themselves in an immediate crisis."

"Oh!" James looked excited. "That's something we'll be up for, for sure!"

Even Sirius seemed to relax his posture a little, leaning back in his chair again. Hermione gave him a furtive smile, and he returned it.

"Problem is," she continued, "these skills are something that more than the three of you will need to aquire. And as you surely know, my time here hasn't exactly been spent getting to know people."

She looked a little ill at ease; reminding them all how she had tried to stay away from everyone, and the complete failure this had resulted in.

"So, now I'll need _you_ to rally up potential allies in the school. Call it a Junior Order of sorts, but you are to be sure _not_ to mention anything about the real deal. We will fill people in when we think it's appropriate, but nothing is to be told at this point.

"You'll need to start searching for people in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but be extremely careful with what you tell them. As we've learned the hard way, followers of the Dark Lord don't only focus on Slytherins. It's better to find only two people you're absolutely sure about, than many who ultimately could endanger our work. If in doubt – back out of it before they learn anything essential."

Sirius looked much more animated with this new turn of events.

"When do we start?" he asked.

"I don't think there's any use in wasting time, so why not tomorrow night? I thought we should get Lily, Lydia and Jenny in on it at once. Then people can drop in over time."

"That sounds great!"

"There's something else you should know though." Hermione steeled herself for this part. She knew it would meet resistance however she phrased her words.

"I intend to recruit Severus Snape to join us, as soon as possible."

The room went quiet, and three pair of eyes stared at her. Dumbledore watched these proceedings with interest. He had to admit that he hadn't nurtured any particular feelings for the scrawny Slytherin boy before Hermione had told him of the fate they shared in the future she came from. It was always pleasing, though, to see people change their predetermined ways. It showed such strength in the people concerned.

"Snape?"

"Snivellus?"

The horrified gasps echoed from both James and Sirius. Only Remus sat quiet, saying nothing, though he had a troubled look upon his face.

"Now, see here!" Hermione's voice had taken on that same commanding tone she'd used when she had bound them earlier. Her eyes were narrowed.

"I know exactly what you don't like about Snape, but the fact is that I know him as one of the people most loyal to the Order's work. He gave up his whole life trying to bring about the fall of the Dark Lord."

"Him?" protested Sirius grimacing. "That greasy little prick, who's up to his elbows in dark magic?"

"Sirius Black, if you know what good for you, you'll listen up right now." Hermione's eyes shone deadly dangerous, but he kept glaring at her.

"He's a Slytherin!" Sirius almost shouted, not at all hindered by the way she stared at him.

"So? You should have gotten it by now that Gryffindor's aren't all saints either," Hermione hissed. "And all Slytherin's aren't evil. The world isn't made up of black and white. I know you've gotten much fun out of torturing Severus Snape, Sirius. Some of it, I've seen myself, and it wasn't always pretty."

Hermione leaned forward in her chair, piercing him with her gaze. Her look had darkened. "For instance, I've seen what happened right after all of you had finished your OWL's last semester, just before the summer vacation."

She tilted her head. "I guess Lily told you off pretty good after she'd calmed down. That's why you've left him alone this term? I know you like to provoke him, but there will be no more of that. We need him."

"How do you…?" James looked bewildered. "But yes, she more or less threatened to cut off some of our more delicate parts…," James actually blushed, and glanced at Dumbledore who had the good grace to look away, humming for himself.

Hermione experienced another stabbing feeling in her chest when she remembered how she was in possession of this knowledge. These feelings had surely lessened since she'd first got away from the immediate chaotic situation she'd come from, but they were still there.

"Just seconds before Severus Snape died," she explained in an intense voice, "at the hands of Lord Voldemort himself, I might add – he managed to hand over some of his memories to Harry Potter and myself. He was very weak, and I don't think he had the strength to filter them thoroughly. Along with the crucial information we needed, they also contained some of the more distinctive moments of his life."

"I don't care what he did for himself in later life, he's still a git in this time!" James voice had an unusually crude tone to it. He was getting angrier by the second and sat up, glaring at Hermione. "Do you know what he did to Lily Evans? He hates her!"

Hermione knew very well that Severus Snapes' feelings concerning Lily rather went the opposite way, but this was not for her to tell.

James' outburst was probably meant as a rhetorical question, but Hermione looked him straight in the eyes and said: "I know exactly what happened when Snape found himself cornered by several Gryffindors who were attacking him for no reason. He lashed out in panic, and the result was that he called Lily a mudblood."

Everyone winced, especially James. "That's unforgivable!"

_Oh James. So naïve._

Dumbledore turned his attention back to the guests in his office. He hadn't heard the details of this story before, and it interested him.

Hermione sighed and leaned her head in her hands. It had always been a probability that this part of her plan would meet with protests, especially from these three.

"It's just a word. Believe me. Words only possess the power _we_ let them have." She tried to keep her patience, fully understanding that this was all new to them, but she also started to think they acted like children.

But James was angry now. He didn't trust Slytherins in general, and he certainly didn't trust Severus Snape among the lot. He'd cared for Lily Evans for as long as he could remember, and right now he was fed up with scheming snakes that seemed to nestle themselves in everywhere. He got up on his feet, gesticulating angrily, and Hermione was very much reminded of the fight that had broken out outside the potion's classroom some time ago. James Potter would _always_ defend Lily Evans.

"How would you like it if someone called you a mudblood?"

_Oh. _

Hermione stiffened in her seat, staring up at James Potter who stood glaring at her.

_Bad move, James. _

Albus Dumbledore almost wanted to close his eyes at the sight of the witch's expression. He suspected he knew where this was going, and didn't like it at all. But it was Hermione who called the shots concerning this evening, so he settled for just observing the escalating fight before him.

Hermione stood up, slowly, her eyes glued upon James' face.

"It-is-just-a-word," she said through gritted teeth.

"Easy for you to say," retorted James surly.

"James…" said Sirius hesitantly, when he too noticed how Hermione's eyes flashed darkly.

Hermione stepped forward, and without a word she pulled up the left arm sleeve of her sweater. She held out her forearm for James to look at.

"What are you…?" he started, irritated, but then the unblemished piece of skin started to change, in sort of a ripple effect. The white skin now showed the ragged outlines of a word.

James looked confused. "What…?" he said again, staring at the red crossings that spread over her forearm as the glamour she'd wore on it faded.

Both Sirius and Remus joined James on the floor to take a look at her arm, and their horrified looks mirrored each other when they at last could read the word 'mudblood', angrily carved into her skin.

"I'm a muggleborn myself, and I think I have the right to decide how to treat these derogative slurs," Hermione snapped at them, her patience almost gone.

The boys still stared at her arm, seemingly not able to grasp what was before them.

"Do you think what I've told you is a game?" she asked, fiercely. "This-," she waved her arm at them, "This is just _one_ small piece of all the consequences that will come from us failing to prevent the Dark Lord's advances. You need to understand that there's a bigger picture here."

Her irritation was palpable when she took her arm back and sat down again; once more covering up one of the souvenirs she'd gotten from her encounter with the grown up Lucius Malfoy.

"What happened?" asked Remus carefully, sitting down again too. He pulled on the stunned James, making him move backwards until his legs hit the armchair.

"Never you mind," was Hermione's testy answer. "But it wasn't voluntary, you can bet on that."

She felt exhausted by their stubborn childishness and rubbed on her eyes for a moment, wondering if it had been too early for them to get involved after all.

Dumbledore decided that this probably was a good time to wrap things up, and cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen," he said. "I think this is a great example of why your discreet cooperation is so important in these matters. As time goes by, you'll get more involved in the Order's work, but for now-," Dumbledore glanced at Hermione who sat glowering in her seat, "-you will concentrate on getting yourselves and a few carefully selected students in shape. Is this clear?"

"Of course, sir," the boys mumbled, and after having been dismissed by their Headmaster, they cleared out, all three looking quite forlorn. The evening hadn't really gone by as they'd expected it to.

When they were alone again in Dumbledore's office, Hermione groaned and sank deeper in her armchair.

"They're behaving like children!" she complained.

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Give them a little time to get used to all this, I'm sure they'll rise to the occasion."

"I know," she grumbled. "It's just so stupid ingrained school house rivalry seems to overshadow all rational thinking."

The old man chuckled. "I've often thought so myself," he said, refilling their teacups.

"Peter will have to be invited to at least some of these training sessions," Hermione sighed, taking a sip from her tea. She cradled the cup with her hands.

"Yes," agreed Dumbledore. "Have you thought of what to tell him?"

She gave a short laugh. "Gryffindors are always rushing about, trying to save the world. I don't think anyone will be particularly surprised if he gives information saying that young students are trying to teach themselves to fight. We'll just have to make sure to schedule some more advanced sessions without him."

"I think that would be good, yes," he agreed, smiling at her phrasing.

"And about this training," Hermione said, "there's a couple of things I need to procure." She shook her head a little. "I've postponed everything for far too long. I need to visit Diagon Alley for some of the things, do you think I could be excused from my DADA classes tomorrow morning?"

Dumbledore studied the girl, the way she sat straight with glowing eyes. Things might not have gone as they had planned, but it didn't mean it wasn't time to deal with them after all.

"I'll talk with Professor Alderan first thing tomorrow," he smiled.

* * *

The pair stayed in their seats in front of the fireplace for some time, making plans and sorting out thoughts. When Hermione at last left the Headmaster's study, it was late, and the dark corridors were freezing. Turning a corner, she almost jumped high when an unseen hand grasped her arm out of nowhere. She stifled a cry.

"Shh, it's me," whispered Sirius, lifting a corner of James' invisibility cloak. He took hold of her arm and dragged her closer to the wall, and at the same time saw to it that the silvery cloak too covered her. Hermione could see him holding the Marauders' map.

"Be quiet," he mouthed, and she nodded, looking down at the piece of parchment in his hand. The hallway was too dark to make out the map's content without wand light, but she soon heard muffled footsteps approaching. Almost holding her breath to avoid making any sounds, she could discern three figures walking quietly towards where she and Sirius stood hidden. When they at last came closer, Hermione instantly recognized the same three Slytherins she had walked in upon while they bullied a little boy some months ago.

The Slytherins passed them by, mumbling in hushed tones between themselves, but Hermione couldn't make out more than a few stray words of the conversation.

She frowned, thinking of what would have happened if she had met them all alone, and wondered whether it was all a coincidence that these three happened to walk around after curfew, so far from their dungeons. That Lemaire guy seemed to be trouble, but she didn't really know why. Just because she had dared interrupt their seedy harassment of a younger student?

As they stood quiet, pressed together against the wall, she could feel Sirius' warm breath by her ear.

A moment later, they were alone again, and the two Gryffindors glanced at each other under the cloak and started silently to walk the opposite way, still hidden from any passing eyes.

"I thought it best to keep a lookout," said Sirius a little apologetically when they at last deemed it safe to take off the cloak and talk again.

"Thanks," answered Hermione with a small smile. She was tired and had her head full of all of the things that would have to get done, and didn't really think she had the energy to deal with any more fits of anger. But Sirius only fired off one of his handsome smiles and snuck his arm around her shoulders as they headed to their common room.

"Sirius…," she started, but he cut her off.

"Just thought we should keep warm, love, that's all." He smiled cheekily, but retracted his arm, continuing: "I actually came back for you because I wanted to apologize. Eh… again, that is. Everything has been happening so fast, and I think I've been treating this whole…," he seemed to be searching for the right word, "situation… as an adventure. I never really thought any of it over."

Sirius gently lifted her left hand as they walked and stroke over her forearm.

"Will I ever get to know what happened?" he asked quietly.

Hermione smiled, strangely contended with the situation. "Probably not all of it," she answered, matter-of-factly. "This," she lifted her arm a little, where the glamour was once more in place under the cloth of her sweater, "was meant as a message, a warning."

Sirius watched her intently, and to his surprise, she looked oddly pleased.

"It didn't work, though," she said, smirking at a memory. "I tried to tell James, that words are only words, and even scars are nothing but reminders of what you are capable of."

"Do you have more of them?" asked Sirius,

She gave a short laugh. "Oh yes, you should see my back."

Hermione looked up at him again, at the tall, impulsive and passionate young man he was. His good looks aside, Sirius really had an impressive personality.

"I just need to know that none of you guys will screw things up. I'm prepared to give _anything_ – my life included – to see this through. You need to promise me that there won't be no more idiotic outbursts."

Sirius' eyes met Hermione's in the darkness, and he could see that she meant her every word.

"We'll back you up," he said reassuringly, and she smiled in return.

* * *

The first day of the new week had seen most Gryffindor students seated for a full day of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but Hermione Granger had been missing. Albus Dumbledore himself made her excuses to Professor Alderan, and as the teacher's appreciative view of Hermione had grown since she had shown him some of her practical abilities, he didn't grumble too much.

"She's ahead of almost everyone as it is, I don't think missing one day's lessons will do Miss Granger any harm," the man had told the Headmaster, who in turn had promised to see to it that she were to attend next week.

Instead, the time traveling witch had spent the morning heading up Diagon Alley's side streets, with the purpose of finding some of the essential things she felt were missing from her person, now that things were in motion for real.

Hermione had asked Sirius, Remus and James to meet her on the seventh floor, in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy at eight o'clock that evening, and to bring the girls along. The Marauders had of course known what it was about, but none of them could see why she wanted them all the way up at the seventh floor.

"There are no classrooms up there, won't we need space to move about?" asked James, when she hurriedly talked to them before breakfast that same morning.

She just smiled in return. "Just be there, okay?" she said, and then she was gone, leaving them bemused.

* * *

Eight o'clock found Hermione Granger waiting in the corridor just beside the ever so ridiculous looking trolls in tutus. She was wearing her school robes against the cold and her hair was donned in a thick plait that hung down her back. When at last she saw her friends coming up the stairs further down the hallway she smiled. She didn't feel the least guilty about how she had seen to it that Peter Pettigrew wouldn't be joining them this night, due to the fact that she had asked Minerva McGonagall to arrange a detention for him.

Hermione's Head of House had almost exploded with fury when she was informed of the last days' developments, and about the assault on the girl. But being the sensible and rational witch she was, she saw that the chosen course was for the best.

"Mister Pettigrew has failed most of his assignements anyway," Minerva sniffed, her eyes flashing most dangerously, "and whatever the reasons might be, he's in for several detentions."

And now the three Marauder boys came up to her, looking determined and a little puzzled about why they were meeting her here of all places. Behind them came Lily, Jenny and Lydia, the only other people in the castle Hermione was truly sure about at this point. They hadn't been told anything more than to come along this evening, but she felt they had to start somewhere.

Hermione stood leaning against the wall, her arms folded in front of her, and smiled broadly at the looks upon their faces.

"Hermione!" exclamated Lily, "what's going on? Where have you been?"

"Hello," she greeted them happily, ignoring Lily's question for the moment. "Had a nice day?" The red head frowned, but Hermione didn't really expect an answer to this rather silly question, and was as eager to get going as her classmates anyway.

Remus, who was observing her with his hands in his pockets, just asked her: "So, where are we going?" with an amused tone to his voice. She kept smiling.

"Remember when I told you how I know a thing or two about this castle you don't?" she said, looking a little smug. Sirius and James still both seemed rather skeptical at this statement.

Without waiting for an answer, she stood up straight, closed her eyes and walked up and down the hallway three times, silently asking for just the right things. At the end of her last turn, Hermione heard the others draw their breaths, and she opened her eyes facing the door she knew would have popped into existence.

She smiled hugely at their reactions and turned around, finding her girlfriends looking mostly confused, but all three Marauders on the other hand had a sort of stricken looks on their faces. With their clever map, they all thought themselves more or less omniscient when it came to the Hogwarts castle, and she had certainly punctured some of their beliefs for now.

"This," she said, smiling wide at her friends while opening the door and gesturing for them to enter, "is the Room of Requierment."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any sort of profit from this hobby.

**Author's note:** Oh my, new chapter? Story absolutely not forgotten, y'all! Well, my planned writing schedule didn't work out at all now, did it… This because I've been in between betas for quite some time now, and truth is – I really need one, as it turns out that _writing_ in a foreign language is much harder than just reading it.

All credits for Beta work now goes to the lovely Miss _**Vulpine Vixi.**_

**Chapter 16**

Hermione let her friends enter the room before she stepped in herself, and she watched them marvel over the Room of Requirement's sheer existence. James looked at her with something like awe in his eyes. He really hadn't believed her when she said that she knew more about Hogwarts than him.

Hermione just smiled at him in answer, while the others looked around, and she silently wondered where to begin. Lily, Lydia and Jenny hadn't received the same profound insight into why they should take on this new task, as the three Marauders had some nights ago.

It turned out though, that Hermione needn't have worried. The girls readily accepted the rather thin explanation she gave them about how and why she was starting a secret defence group. All the disturbing things going on outside of the school had them more or less expecting something like this to happen. They were Gryffindors after all. And, as Hermione was under the guardianship of Albus Dumbledore himself, they didn't question her motives.

The girls were game. They had seen Hermione fight.

_Very well then. _Hermione felt a little heartened and started her lesson.

Hermione had prepared the room to resemble a full blown obstacle course, complete with trenches to jump and wade through, and high walls for climbing. She knew from experience that if the Hogwarts education lacked something, it was physical exercise. Outside of Quidditch, which was limited in number and gave little physical exertion, nothing else physical was offered. Once, Hermione might have sneered at the need of such exertions, believing the greatest rewards to come from books, but nowadays she knew better and thus intended to pass on everything she knew to the ones in her charge. Their minds had to work without glitches during physical pressure, as much as it needed to be prepared for mental stress.

From her place on top of a slightly raised platform, she observed her friends quite happily following her initial instructions to move about the course. After a couple of laps though, their laughs has been replaced by sulky grumblings from almost all of them.

"Really?" Jenny shouted at Hermione, a little out of breath as she struggled to get over the highest obstacle for the fourth time around. "This… isn't what… I expected to…"

Her words were cut short by Hermione's sudden actions.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted unexpectedly, pointing her wand at the blonde girl whose eyes widened as she fought to get her weapon out while still holding tight to the wall she was about to climb over. The thin stick of wood flew easily out of her pocket before she could do anything about it.

Hermione didn't waste any time though, and went for the same spell once more, and before any of her friends seemed to grasp what had happened, she held James' wand in her hand too. The look he gave her was of such hurt bewilderment that she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

By now, the others had all dived for cover, and Hermione felt the time had come to wrap up the exercise. She motioned for them to abandon the obstacle course.

"This was really mostly an attempt to prove a point," she started, after giving back the wands she'd taken from James and Jenny. "Anyone care to guess what I'm trying to tell you?"

"Don't get stuck climbing a wall?" Remus suggested with a smile. She'd known he wouldn't have any problem with these exercises, his werewolf genetics making him both stronger and faster than most ordinary humans.

"Something like that," she mumbled back at him, a slight smile behind her words.

Sirius too seemed amused with her impromptu instructions, and lounged against one of the tables by the wall. He wasn't particularly out-of-breath either, as both him and James spent more than their share of free time on their brooms. Hermione glanced at him, and continued.

"It's not only about being in shape, although that is certainly more than important."

Her voice had taken on a slightly more serious tone than earlier, and her classmates all took places around her on the floor. They had found a stack of cushions against one of the walls, and Hermione could swear they were the same ones that Dumbledore's Army would be using in a couple of decades. The thought bothered her, but she shook it off. _Deal with it._

The three Marauders, in their turn, took in their newest friend's changed appearance. Just as last night in Dumbledore's office, Hermione spoke with a new quality to her voice, strong and confident. It apparently did her good to not have to hide from everyone. Sirius, now seated on the floor with his legs outstretched before him, watched her intently and wondered if she would ever tell the girls her whole story.

Hermione knew there were some crucial points she had to get through to them before they could start any real basic training.

"Well, yes. Remus is quite right," she smiled a little and nodded to the prefect. "Don't get stuck, ever. Movement is everything. Never give an enemy the chance to pin you down. I want every one of you able to get through that obstacle course while continuously firing both offensive and defensive spells. Use it, and make sure you get in the best shape of your lives."

The air in the Room of Requirement seemed to hum with her words, and Hermione felt an odd affection for the room. She knew it would help them and she felt encouraged. Already, Harry Potter's parents and their loving friends were getting ready to fight rather than being slaughtered by treachery.

She was changing things. Just as she'd promised herself.

Heartened by this sudden feeling of accomplishment, she gave off a blazing smile and continued. "And probably the most important thing to know, is that there are no fair fights. If you get hold of your opponent's wand – snap it in two."

A shiver seemed to go through everyone present. This was something so taboo and hard to grasp for members of the wizarding world, almost comparable with the feeling of having to chop someone's arm off.

"I'm serious," she said, watching the others. She started shrugging out of her robes. The room was warm enough for the loosely fitted pants and long sleeved top she wore underneath. "Never _ever_ give a Death Eater a chance to get his weapon back. They are the epitome of evil, and something we most probably will have to meet at some point or other. You need to know how to handle it."

Everyone's faces were masks of seriousness. They knew Hermione wasn't just speaking hypothetically, not after the Hogsmeade business they'd all witnessed.

"Battles aren't to be expected to be fought in duel form. Anyone who's able to run, jump, twist, turn and hide at the same time as they're doing some major spell work, will have all the advantages."

There were nods all around the group of people, and Hermione watched them with a strange feeling brewing in her stomach. It felt weird, telling them what to do, but they needed to learn and there wasn't much time. She knew they all did well in their DADA class, and there was certainly nothing wrong with their confidence and bravery, something that had shown when they didn't hesitate to join in when others were in danger.

Gryffindors through and through.

Hermione considered them for a moment, and then stood up again, motioning for the others to follow her.

"I'd like to try something," she said, and then proceeded to position Sirius and Remus facing each another in the open space they had been occupying, a few paces apart. The boys both laughed and joked in anticipation, as everyone else moved aside.

"Stand still," she ordered them, smirking a little when Sirius jumped around, flexing his muscles and waving his wand about. Remus at least had the decency to behave like the prefect he was, but he too was laughing at his mate's foolishness.

"And now," Hermione commanded in a firm voice, "drop your wands."

All heads in the room turned towards her. She held a firm face.

"I told you. Don't expect all your battles to be wizarding duels."

She watched as the two boys, the black haired and the golden haired hesitantly let go of their wands, still eyeing each other. The tension in the room was suddenly high.

"So we're going to, like, wrestle each other?" Sirius asked her, still not letting Remus out of his sight. "This isn't really fair you know?" He glanced at Hermione and then the let his gaze slip over to the other girls in the room, knowing more than well that they didn't know anything about Remus' additional capabilities.

Hermione frowned. This seemed to take more time than she had anticipated. The use of wands was so deeply integrated into wizarding minds that even the thought of fighting without one rendered them almost incapable of action.

She walked up to Sirius and he eyed her with suspicion.

"Now what are you planning?" he asked, looking down at her with curiosity clear on his face, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"Go stand with the others," she ordered him, and felt amused by the stiff bow he gave her before sauntering off, a humorous gleam in his eyes.

Remus smiled widely at his new opponent, his wandless hands at his sides. Hermione dropped her own wand on top of her discarded robes and soon she stood before him, as weaponless as him. There were a couple of paces between them, and they now faced each other. Their audience observed them with interest. James and Sirius quietly took bets on the outcome with slight grins on their faces.

Hermione smiled, stretched her arms up and got up on the balls of her feet. It almost felt like old times, she and Remus against each other. This was safe. This was fun.

Remus Lupin was both fast and strong. Hermione knew this. Going up against him without a wand was bordering on stupidity, but she also knew that he still was under the stupid comprehension that fighting should be fair. She wanted to show them all that this was something they had to get out of their heads.

Remus held her gaze and then bowed, just like in any duel.

She rolled her eyes. _Oh Remus, you have yet to learn._

"No bowing in my class," she declared fiercely, and then suddenly sprinted towards him.

Remus reacted quite instinctual to seeing the small witch coming straight at him with speed. He stretched out his arms in an attempt to get them around her, trying to lock her in. But his look of satisfaction turned into bewilderment when he found himself with only an armful of air.

Hermione had turned her trajectory movement into a full turnaround, ducked under his arms, and suddenly she stood up straight behind him instead, holding the tip of a silver dagger a hairs breath from the skin of his neck.

The room had gone absolutely quiet. No one breathed.

The whole thing had taken no more than a couple of seconds, but the still moment seemed to last much longer than it actually did.

Hermione stepped back and shot an apologetic look at the werewolf who slowly turned around and was watching her, his honey brown eyes wide. She knew the silver could have seriously injured him, should she actually have followed through, and she knew he knew this too.

"_Sorry,"_ she mouthed at him, her back against the others. Sincerity was radiating from her eyes.

Then the corners of Remus' mouth went up and he chuckled. "That was really something," he said, shaking his head a little.

"Pay up," Hermione heard Sirius say to James in the background.

She smiled then too, and pulled the right leg of her pants up, revealing a knife sheath strapped to her calf.

Someone gave a low whistle behind her.

She slid the knife back in place, covered it all up again and then turned around.

"I guess you're trying to say that there's nothing like cheating?" James asked her, a huge grin on his face.

"Ah," Hermione smiled back at him. "Part of the lesson learned then!"

And because she was Hermione Granger, she picked up her wand and with a flick of it, she made a blackboard soar across the room towards them. Another flick made a couple of key points appear on its black surface.

"Remember these things," she prompted. "They will save your lives someday."

* * *

_The walls were shaking._

_Her breathing came out in short bursts. "It won't hold," she mumbled frantically, panic colouring her words._

_Strands of lank hair lay against her clammy forehead. Her face was streaked with dirt, making the whites of her wide eyes stand out in the dark room._

"_It's not going to hold, the wards'll brake down any second," she whispered again. She had repeated this over and over, unconsciously, for almost two hours now. None of the people present bothered to take the time to contradict her any more. They hardly looked at each other. By now, they kept their own distress on the inside. Waiting it out._

_A particularly strong blast made her draw her shaky breath again. She stared into the darkness, panting, wringing her hands together._

_He reached out then, and took her shaking hands in his. She jumped in fright before understanding what it was that had touched her. "Shh…" he whispered, "Just breathe. Focus on your breathing." When she found his darkened honey brown eyes in the gloom, looking into hers, she swallowed and then nodded._

"_Good girl." No smile there to comfort her though. No one had smiled for a long time._

_Suddenly, the bedlam ceased. The unexpected quietness boomed in their ears, such a contrast to the commotion that had gone down for the last couple of hours._

_They all sat up a little straighter, not sure about what this development meant. She slowly let go of his hands, realizing only then how she had grasped them so tightly that he had to massage them together to get some life into his fingers._

_She caught his gaze and mouthed "Sorry," to him, and although there was no real smile in return, the corners of his mouth twitched a little. The tiniest bit._

_And then the wall opposite them exploded._

Hermione regained sudden consciousness with a deep icy feeling in her chest, from her especially horrible dream… except for her it wasn't just a dream, but a memory. The bed covers were damp from sweat, and twisted tightly around her body from where she had tossed and turned in her sleep, and she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. Slowly, she rose to rest upon her elbows, looking around the still dark dormitory.

She hadn't had such a nightmare for several months, but now it left her nearly hyperventilating. She still heard the loud bangs, could still smell the fear and despair amongst the gathered Order people. She could almost taste the dust that flew around the room whilst their last safe house was under Death Eater attack.

Her friends were still sleeping soundly and she sunk down again, wiping sweat from her brow.

She suspected that this certain memory was resurfacing because of the recent interaction with Remus Lupin. Seeing his younger self somehow triggered her sub consciousness to bring forward those moments she tried to forget.

_No_.

_No_, she scolded herself. Don't forget. Never forget. Bring it all out and make sure these things never happen.

Alone, awake in the dark, she slowly calmed down from the dream, and thought of last night's meeting. It left her with a feeling of content, despite the bad memory that had triggered it. She'd known all along that the first training wouldn't offer them much practice, but they at least learned that she meant business. With a smile, Hermione recalled their grumblings when she had ended the night by making them all run her obstacle course until even the Quidditch players sweat through.

She intended to begin to drill them with the most basic rules of fighting. Whilst they all ran and climbed around the room, Hermione reminded them of the importance of movement, how they would need to be able to keep a cool head and think on their feet. These facts were hard to exaggerate, and she really wanted them to understand that if you always kept on the move and didn't get yourself locked in, you also forced the enemy to rethink their own strategy again and again. And then you just had to hope that _you_ turned out to be the clever one in the end.

She decided to postpone the one-on-one combat training until later on, when all of them would come prepared. Her little trick with the knife had made them all want to try it out for themselves, but she was adamant to avoid rushing things.

"_A weapon you don't know how to use belongs to your enemy," _she had told them. A cliché perhaps, but it was true. She knew that they first of all needed to get some of the basics. And after all, she didn't think any one of them would be able to actually sink the knife into another person. There was a long way to go still.

But it felt good, it sure did, to have started at last.

Hermione had truly enjoyed her trip to Diagon Alley in the morning the day before. She had been able to get hold of, not only the dagger that had been strapped to her calf during practice, but also the thing she'd missed most these last weeks. After a visit to _Ollivander's_, she soon procured a secondary wand, along with fitting leather wrist sheaths for both of the wooden sticks. She felt whole again; ready to take on her enemies.

She only wished she had someone to really practice combat with. She hadn't had a good duel since the last Order meeting, where Alastor Moody still tried to get a hang of using Occlumency within fighting. None of the other Order members had time for physical training, and she couldn't rely on Remus to give her much of a competition in this time. Not yet any way.

Oh well. There was always that bloody obstacle course to tackle.

She smiled then, and got up from her damp bed. Nothing like some exercise in the morning to calm the nerves.

* * *

When the alarm clock rang in the girls' bedroom, Hermione was already in the midst of getting dressed after her shower. She'd needed it after the early morning's workout. Hermione didn't think she had any right to yell at anyone at all, if she wasn't in enough shape herself to finish the obstacle course, so she had promised herself to try to get in a run every morning before breakfast.

"Merlin's pants! It hurts!" came a weak grumbling from under Jenny's covers. She moaned as she tried to knock off the noisy clock on top of her bed side table.

Hermione laughed silently at this, and even more so when the wailing started behind Lydia's bed-hangings. It seemed that sore muscles were something of a bother all around this morning.

"See you at breakfast," smiled Hermione and waved at her roommates, before heading down to the Great Hall. She was feeling famished, not having had much of an appetite these last few chaotic days.

Whilst walking the castle's chilly corridors, she thought of Lily Evans. A slight feeling of unease brewed in her stomach, having nothing to do with hunger. She had been wondering about if it would be right to fill the red-haired girl in on some of the secrets, but at the same time she feared it would do more harm than good at this point… mostly from the fact that Lily could hardly stand to be around her destined future husband. What would happen if Hermione spilled these details to the couple? Would James Potter ever shape up enough to gain her love, if he was thinking it was already a done deal? And would Lily ever give him the chance, if she felt pushed toward him against her own free will?

Hermione furrowed her brow and let out the breath she didn't know she had held. No, it was probably best to keep Lily out of it, for the moment at least. She wanted Harry Potter to be born, so much that it hurt. To see that boy grow up without the neglect and torment she'd known him to have to live through… She blinked and shook her head to clear some of her thoughts.

The Great Hall was almost empty when she entered it. There weren't many people already dressed and walking about at this hour, and she had almost the whole Gryffindor table for herself. Hermione sat down and gave herself a view of the Slytherin table further down the hall. A couple of silver and green clad students had managed to get ready early for the day, and among them she saw the skinny form of a sixth year boy, seated somewhat afar from the others. All his attention was focused on a book that lay open besides his oatmeal.

_Severus Snape_, Hermione mused, biting into an apple.

The young Snape was as sarcastic and short tempered as his adult self, and Hermione almost wanted to sway in her initial determination to recruit him. But despite his youthful tendencies to involve himself with Dark Magic, she also knew him to be very intelligent and highly skilled in almost every field of magic, especially within the Potions area. To deprive Lord Voldemort of this particular individual would improve credence within the Order, in more ways than one.

"Hi, Hermione!" someone said, awakening her from her deep thoughts on how to approach this mission. She looked up, and moments later she was joined by a couple of sixth year Gryffindors.

"'Morning," she greeted her classmates, after swallowing a large piece of apple that threatened to choke her.

Elisabeth Rushton, a sixth year Prefect, sat down opposite Hermione, blocking her view of Snape.

"Do you have time for some study time in the common room tonight?" Elisabeth asked, with slight strain in her voice. Hermione knew Elisabeth had trouble with their Arithmancy assignments.

"Sure," she said. "Should I ask Remus too?"

Elisabeth gave her a grateful smile. "That would be great, thanks."

Hermione returned the smile. She suspected that the Prefect badge only had come Elisabeth's way because of the fact that Lily Evans had spent the school year's first couple of weeks abroad. The tall, dark haired girl seemed to struggle to keep up with her schoolwork alongside with the patrolling and other constant duties that came withthe Prefect badge. Elisabeth turned back to the other Gryffindors. Hermione didn't really know any of them very well, and didn't mind being left alone again. She once more sought out Snape at the Slytherin table. He hadn't looked up from his book. Hermione wondered what it was about.

She didn't have the slightest idea how to approach the issues with Snape. She couldn't just walk up to the Slytherin boy and befriend him. On that same matter, she didn't _want_ to befriend him, but she knew that they needed him, and some deep part of her just wanted to make up for all the sacrifices he'd made in the other timeline.

When Snape's true loyalties finally had come out in the open right after his death, she and many others had grieved for the man who had spent his life loving a dead woman. Even Harry, who had hated the man intensely, had accepted his chosen actions at last.

Hermione took a sip of her coffee, thinking hard. The Great Hall was starting to fill up with students, but she still jumped in fright when the place beside her suddenly became occupied. She blinked, slightly confused, when she was dragged out into the present again. Turning, she saw a madly grinning James Potter.

"Top of the morning to ya-" James said.

Sirius came right after him, squeezing down on her other side, looking just as pleased as his friend.

"—and the rest of the day to yerself!" Sirius finished the saying with a flourishing hand gesture that made Hermione spill half her coffee over the table.

She glared at him, but couldn't help but feel amused by the two boy's flamboyant actions. She vanished the mess with a flick of her wand.

"There's plenty of room on the other side of the table, you know." She gestured to the empty places in front of her.

"Nah, it won't do," said James, helping himself to an extensive amount of food.

"Wouldn't be able to see very well over there, would we?" said Sirius, and Hermione was unmistakably reminded of the Weasley twins, and the way they constantly finished each other's sentences.

She huffed at this, but turned it into a greeting for her two roommates who arrived just in time to take the places that James and Sirius just had rejected.

"Wait," Hermione said then, suddenly startled. "What?" She felt a feeling of dread creeping up on her, and she suddenly knew why she had thought of Fred and George Weasley.

"See _what_, exactly?" she demanded to know, her head shooting between the two boys beside her.

"What's happening?" asked Jenny, pouring tea for her and Lydia.

James and Sirius just smiled at the girls. They kept their eyes on the Slytherin table at the far end of the hall, happily eating their breakfast. But when the owls started to arrive with mail for the students, Hermione could feel Sirius stiffen slightly beside her. She followed his gaze as he watched the massive flutter of birds descending on the students. Guessing what was on his mind, she turned to him, asking quietly:

"Nothing at all?"

Sirius made something like a grimace and shook his head. "I would feel better just knowing what she was planning. It's never a good sign when my mother stays quiet in the face of insolence."

"So you're expecting a reply then?" James asked from Hermione's other side, having grasped what they were whispering about.

Sirius shrugged. "Who knows? She might very well go on pretending like I never was born."

Suddenly, a surge of upset voices and screams could be heard coming from the furthest side of the Great Hall, and both boys' heads shot up at once, great expectations gleaming on their faces. Hermione sat up straight too to get a look of what the ruckus was all about. When she caught the view, she laughed aloud before she could stop herself. All of the students seated at the Slytherin table had turned a bright shade of orange. At first, confusion seemed to rule all over the hall, and among the Slytherins most of all, but it was soon understood that the unexpected colorful skin condition only had come down on their house.

"What did you do?" laughed Jenny, turning back to James and Sirius, who stood guffawing, holding each other up in between their fits of laughter.

"Don't know what you're talking about," answered a beaming James Potter.

The Great Hall was in uproar. The two Marauders observed with mirth, how the Slytherins did all in their power to try to rid themselves of their orange hues. Rubbing on the skin didn't help, nor did splashing it with water, or the shouted cries of _"Tergeo!" _that rang around their table.

Suddenly, a voice rang across the Great Hall: _"May I have your attention please?"_

The noise died down at once. Hermione and everyone else looked up at the platform with the teachers' table, and saw Albus Dumbledore standing at its front, observing the turmoil beneath him. He was wearing bright blue robes, and didn't look the slightest upset by the chaos his students was making. Instead, his eyes glittered more than ever.

"It seems we are experiencing some unexpected surprises this morning," Dumbledore stated calmly, turning to the Slytherin table.

Most of its students sat seething or muttering, and it was clear to all who witnessed it that this was something that would not go unpunished if they ever were to find out who had done it. Hermione figured that the Marauders' status in the school, as troublemaking Gryffindors, would make them the number one suspects. It didn't help that Sirius and James both stood grinning like it was Christmas morning.

Dumbledore continued addressing the Slytherins: "Just remain calm, and all this will soon be sorted out, I'm sure." He then turned towards the rest of the students. "Everyone else, please finish your breakfast and leave for your morning classes in a composed and dignified way."

The dismissal was evident, and the different houses turned back to their own tables, chatting excitingly with each other, although still unable to keep themselves from laughing and pointing.

The Headmaster sought out the eyes of a furious looking Head Boy among the brightly colored Slytherins. "Mister Malfoy, if you please?" Dumbledore motioned for Lucius to join him and Horace Slughorn, as the voluminous Head of House had already appeared next to Dumbledore to find out what was going on.

As Hermione observed a brightly orange Lucius Malfoy walking up the few steps up to the Head table, she couldn't help but smirk. The color really clashed with his silvery blond hair. She liked the feeling of the mighty Lucius being humiliated, even if it was by something as juvenile as a prank. But as suddenly as she had this thought, the Head Boy turned his gaze upon her from his position up on the platform. Their eyes locked for a couple of seconds and she could see the fury within them, before the teachers surrounding him started to examine his skin to determine its cause.

_Well_, Hermione thought, as she returned her attention to the triumphant Gryffindors all around her, _Lucius Malfoy tried to have my neck broken. My peers turned him orange._

She felt an uncontrollable need to giggle, and drowned it by drinking from her goblet of pumpkin juice. Could her life be more surreal?

* * *

Despite the morning's events, double Potions took place as usual. Not many Slytherins showed up though, and those who did were glaring and muttering unpleasant things to the Gryffindors. Hermione noticed how James and Sirius got most of the hostility directed against them, but as no-one had stepped up to take credit for the prank, the Slytherins had to keep their suspicions for themselves; at least for the time being. Hermione worried that the Marauders had gone too far with their mischief, and had quietly badgered Sirius during breakfast about the prank, until he'd grown tired of it and muttered "It'll wear off!"

The dungeon-classroom was freezing cold, and Hermione pulled on her school robes until they covered her neck, and then tucked her hands inside the sleeves. The chair beside her remained unoccupied, and she figured that her surly Slytherin partner was one of those who had decided to either visit the hospital wing or stay in their common room for the time being. She didn't mind, really. She didn't need a partner to manage the potions they were working on anyway.

Professor Slughorn arrived a little late, and Hermione could see at once that the usually amiable man was seconds from losing his temper. She just hoped that Sirius and James, who sat a couple of seats in front of her with their heads together and silently celebrated their triumph, wouldn't make things worse for themselves.

Horace Slughorn sighed deeply and sank down in his chair. He patted on his moist forehead with a white handkerchief. "Well," he started, a disgruntled look upon his face, "a little _too_ much excitement for one morning, I think."

This produced a round of faint traces of sniggers among the Gryffindors, and many of the Slytherins glowered, whispering threats. Hermione ignored this, but noticed that Snape too sat alone at his desk. His partner had also decided to skip the class.

"Now, now. No more fooling around now," Slughorn interjected. "All will return to normal in no time at all. Dumbledore is sure the hex will wear off by itself."

And with this, the professor fired off a smile and clasped his hands together. Apparently, his sullen mood had already worn off, and the man was back to his normal self again.

"You should all have gotten ready to enter stage two of your Strengthening Solutions by now. Pair up as usual and help each other with the final work. I'll walk around and answer any questions you might have."

Hermione suddenly saw her opportunity and decided to take it, although she could imagine that both Sirius and James would stop talking to her altogether. _No turning back now…_ Her hand shot up in the air and she said in a loud voice: "Professor! I don't have a partner!"

Many students turned around in their seats, and Hermione could feel Remus' curious eyes upon her at once. He raised his eyebrows at her, knowing that she didn't mind working alone.

Slughorn looked at her. "Oh dear, look at that. Well, it was expected, of course, with all this trouble…" He trailed off, his eyes travelling the room until they fell upon the empty seat besides Severus Snape, just as she'd expected.

"Why don't you work alongside Mister Snape for now, Miss Granger?"

Hermione smiled inwardly and nodded. She collected her things and moved up a couple of rows to the front. As she walked past the Marauders' seats, she hardly dared to look at them. She could almost feel the mixture of disapproval and astonishment coming from both Sirius and James.

Ah well, it wasn't their place to criticize her.

Hermione sat down beside the black-haired and temporarily orange skinned youth and glanced at him. Snape hadn't even acknowledged her presence. The classroom started to fill up with talk among the students, steam from different cauldrons rose slowly, filling the room with a mist-like substance.

"So," Hermione started, but she almost jumped when he twisted around to face her. His beetle black eyes were so alike the ones she'd known the Potions Master of her past to have had. How was it that he was able to put so much nastiness into them?

"I don't need your help," Snape hissed quietly, and his eyes bored into hers, making her feel like she were eleven years old again.

Hermione swallowed but squared her jaw.

Snape continued, in a low voice: "I know very well that your boyfriends are the ones behind this little… joke." He waved his right hand lazily, seemingly not caring about it at all. He glared at her. "But you can bet there will be repercussions."

Now he smiled maliciously, a thinned lipped smile with no hint of real joy. And Hermione took a deep mental breath to steady herself, and silently wondered if she was going too far. James would kill her.

"I agree with you," she said, and started to put her potion tools to their use. "The prank was immature and unnecessary."

Hermione twisted her hear into a bun at the nape of her neck to keep it out of the way, and then turned her head to look at the scowling young man beside her.

"You're Severus, right?"

Snape said nothing, but studied her with those dark eyes of his, and then he turned to his own work in silence.


End file.
